1. Elgenidy A, Gad EF, Shabaan I, Abdelrhem H, Wassef PG, Elmozugi T, Abdelfattah M, Mousa H, Nasr M, Salah-Eldin M, Altaweel A, Hussein A, Bazzazeh M, Elganainy MA, Ali AM, Ezzat M, Elhoufey A, Alatram AA, Hammour A, Saad K. Examining the association between autism spectrum disorder and atopic eczema: meta-analysis of current evidence. Pediatr Res;2024 (Aug 11)

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and atopic eczema (AE), shedding light on potential associations and underlying mechanisms. METHODS: A comprehensive review of literature was conducted to identify relevant studies published up to August 2023. Various electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane, were searched using specific keywords related to ASD and AE. RESULTS: The meta-analysis covered a total of 30 studies. The first analysis included 23 studies with a combined total of 147430 eczema patients in the ASD group and 8895446 eczema patients in non-ASD group. We calculated the risk ratio of eczema in ASD and non-ASD groups, which revealed a significantly higher risk of eczema in patients with ASD (RR 1.34; 95% CI 1.03, 1.76). The second analysis included seven studies with a combined total of 3570449 ASD patients in the AE group and 3253973 in the non-Eczema group. The risk ratio of ASD in the Eczema and Non-Eczema groups showed a significantly increased risk of ASD in patients with eczema (RR 1.67; 95% CI 0.91, 3.06). CONCLUSION: This study underscores the possible link between ASD and atopic eczema, shedding light on their potential association. IMPACT: Our study conducted a meta-analysis on the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and atopic eczema (AE), shedding light on potential associations and underlying mechanisms. The review we conducted covered a total of 30 studies. This study underscores the possible link between ASD and atopic eczema, shedding light on their potential association.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

2. Oudet S, Howard K, Gilhuber C, Robert M, Zimmerli J, Katsos N, Durrleman S. Parent-led Communication Therapy for Young Bilingual Autistic Children: A Scoping Review. J Autism Dev Disord;2024 (Aug 11)

A scoping review of the literature was undertaken using JBI guidelines to map the evidence of parent-led therapy (PLT) for young autistic children (≤ 6 years) raised in bilingual environments. Reviewers used Covidence to screen located sources. Sixteen papers met inclusion criteria. A strong acceleration of reports of PLT for young autistic children measured in bilingual environments was observed, with 93.8% of papers (n = 15) published since 2015. Reporting of participants’ language environments (home language(s)/L1s and societal language(s)/L2s) was inconsistent. A large majority of these studies, 87.5% (n = 14) were conducted in North America or in collaboration with a North American institution. Diverse PLT programs and methodologies were identified. There is variation in demographic information collected and outcomes reported. Evidence gaps in the literature are identified and the value of undertaking systematic review on this topic is considered. This scoping review points to the necessity of further empirical research and practice that centres parents in early and specific support for autistic children raised in bilingual environments. Suggestions for improving reporting standards of language profiles are provided.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

3. Prescott KE, Mathée-Scott J, Bolt D, Saffran J, Ellis Weismer S. The effect of volatility in linguistic input on prediction behavior in autistic toddlers. Autism Res;2024 (Aug 11)

Domain-general prediction differences have been posited as underlying many aspects of the cognitive-behavioral profile in autism. An interesting potential implication of such differences is hyperplasticity of learning-the idea that autistic individuals may privilege more recent input over the accumulation of prior learning. Because real world language input is highly variable, hyperplasticity could have serious ramifications for language learning. To investigate potential hyperplasticity during a language processing task, we administered an experimental anticipatory eye movement (AEM) task to 2- to 3-year-old autistic children and neurotypical (NT) peers. Autistic children’s change in anticipation from before to after a switch in contingencies did not significantly differ from NT counterparts, failing to support claims of hyperplasticity in the linguistic domain. Analysis of individual differences among autistic children revealed that cognitive ability was associated with prediction of the initial, stable contingencies, but neither age nor receptive language related to task performance. Results are discussed in terms of clinical implications and the broader context of research investigating prediction differences in autism.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

4. Rosinda SJ, Hoekstra PJ, Hadders-Algra M, de Bildt A, Heineman KR. Predictive validity of the Standardized Infant NeuroDevelopmental Assessment (SINDA) to identify 4-5 year-old children at risk of developmental delay in a low-risk sample. Early Hum Dev;2024 (Sep);196:106097.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of developmental problems is important as it allows for early intervention. Previous studies, in high-risk infants, found high predictive values of atypical scores on the Standardized Infant NeuroDevelopmental Assessment (SINDA) for later neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., cerebral palsy, intellectual disability). AIMS: The present study explored SINDA’s predictive values to identify risk of developmental delay at 4-5 years. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study. SUBJECTS: 786 low-risk Dutch children (367 boys; median gestational age: 40 (27-42) weeks; mean birth weight: 3455 (SD 577) grams). OUTCOME MEASURES: The SINDA was assessed at 2-12 months and risk of developmental delay was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) at 4-5 years. SINDA’s predictive values were determined for five ASQ domains and the total ASQ score for children at risk of marked (all ASQ domains deviant) and any (one or more ASQ domains deviant) developmental delay. RESULTS: Presence of one atypical SINDA scale score showed low to moderate sensitivities (12-88 %, depending on the SINDA scale and ASQ domain involved), moderate to high specificities (66-94 %), low positive predictive values (PPVs; 3-16 %), and high negative predictive values (NPVs; 95-100 %) for children at risk of marked and any developmental. Presence of multiple atypical SINDA scale scores predicted deviant ASQ domains slightly better (sensitivities = 11-62 %, specificities = 90-98 %, PPVs = 6-30 %, and NPVs = 95-100 %). CONCLUSIONS: In low-risk infants, SINDA’s predictive value is low for detecting children at risk of marked and any developmental delay at 4-5 years, as reflected by the low sensitivities. One of the explanations is the relatively low prevalence of developmental delay in low-risk populations. This might have consequences for the application of the SINDA in general healthcare settings (e.g. child health clinics), but further studies are needed to draw this conclusion.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

5. Tang B, Zhao J, Zhang C, Qi P, Zheng S, Xu C, Chen M, Ye X. Dysregulation of parvalbumin expression and neurotransmitter imbalance in the auditory cortex of the BTBR mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Dev Neurobiol;2024 (Aug 11)

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently exhibit abnormalities in auditory perception, a phenomenon potentially attributed to alterations in the excitatory and inhibitory cells constituting cortical circuits. However, the exact genetic factors and cell types affected by ASD remain unclear. The present study investigated the balance of excitatory and inhibitory activity in the auditory cortex using BTBR T(+) Itpr3(tf)/J (BTBR) mice, a well-established model for autism research. Our investigation unveiled a reduction in parvalbumin-positive (PV(+)) neurons within the AC of BTBR mice. Remarkably, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies disclosed an elevation in glutamate (Glu) levels alongside a decrement in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in this cortical region. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis of the mouse model facilitated the classification of several ASD-associated genes based on their cellular function and pathways. By comparing autism risk genes with RNA transcriptome sequencing data from the ASD mouse model, we identified the recurrent target gene Scn1a and performed validation. Intriguingly, we uncovered the specific expression of Scn1a in cortical inhibitory neurons. These findings hold significant value for understanding the underlying neural mechanisms of abnormal sensory perception in animal models of ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

6. Ujfalussy DJ, Gergely A, Petró E, Topál J. ASD-similar social behaviour scores affect stimulus generalization in family dogs. Sci Rep;2024 (Aug 10);14(1):18578.

Generalization, the tendency to respond in the same way to different but similar stimuli, is one of the main cognitive abilities that make category formation possible and thus is a prerequisite for efficiency in learning. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience pervasive difficulty with producing generalized responses across materials, people, places, and contexts. Increasing evidence suggests that « ASD-like » social impairments appear endogenously and spontaneously in family dogs providing a high-validity model for understanding the phenotypic expression of human ASD. The present study aims to further investigate the dog model of ASD by the approach of searching for analogues in dogs showing « ASD-like » social impairments of cognitive phenomena in humans specific to ASD, specifically impairments of generalization abilities. We have tested 18 family dogs with formerly established « ASD-like » behaviour scores (F1, F2, F3) in a generalization task involving three conditions (size, colour and texture). We found a significant association between F1 scores and test performance as well as improvement during testing sessions. Our study provides further support for the notion that dogs with lower social competence-similarly to humans with ASD-exhibit attentional and perceptual abnormalities, such as being sensitive to minor changes to a non-adaptive extent.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

7. Zack DS, Carroll B, Magallanes A, Bordes Edgar V. Take a Closer Look: Considerations for Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment in Female Children and Adolescents. J Pediatr Health Care;2024 (Aug 9)

Assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the pediatric female population entails unique diagnostic complexities. Females are often misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or receive an ASD diagnosis at a later age than males. Male bias in ASD, masking behaviors, cultural norms, and overlapping neurodevelopmental comorbidities (such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disability) contribute to this phenomenon. The authors present two clinical cases evaluated in an interdisciplinary developmental behavioral pediatrics (DBP) team to highlight these considerations. Cases describe adolescent and school aged females with medical complexity who did not initially appear to have ASD symptoms but later were diagnosed with ASD. Patient anonymity is preserved. Best practice recommendations are discussed. Shared decision making, intentional history taking, thorough observation of behavior and restrictive/repetitive/sensory interests in multiple settings, and attention to social communication in the context of cognitive capacity are essential for ASD assessment in pediatric females.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)