1. Adamson LB, Bakeman R, Suma K, Robins DL. {{An Expanded View of Joint Attention: Skill, Engagement, and Language in Typical Development and Autism}}. {Child Dev}. 2017.
This study provides an expanded view of joint attention and its relation to expressive language development. A total of 144 toddlers (40 typically developing, 58 with autism spectrum disorder [ASD], 46 with developmental delay [DD]) participated at 24 and 31 months. Toddlers who screened positive for ASD risk, especially those subsequently diagnosed with ASD, had poorer joint attention skills, joint engagement during parent-toddler interaction, and expressive language. Findings highlight the dynamic relation between joint attention and language development. In the ASD and DD groups, joint engagement predicted later expressive vocabulary, significantly more than predictions based on joint attention skills. Joint engagement was most severely impacted when toddlers did not talk initially and improved markedly if they subsequently began to speak.
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2. Andrade C. {{Antidepressant Exposure During Pregnancy and Risk of Autism in the Offspring, 1: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses}}. {J Clin Psychiatry}. 2017.
There are no randomized controlled trials of antidepressant drugs to treat depression, or to prevent relapse into depression, during pregnancy; therefore, the safety of antidepressant drug exposure during pregnancy is based on evidence from case-control or cohort studies. Many of these observational studies, during the past decade, examined the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in exposed offspring. Different studies using different methods and examining different periods of antidepressant exposure before and during pregnancy obtained different results. Studies with adverse outcomes were highlighted in the mass media, whereas those with reassuring outcomes were mostly ignored. Meta-analyses were conducted to reconcile the findings of the different studies and determine the magnitude of the effect size. In the last year or so, at least 6 such meta-analyses examined the effects of antidepressant exposure during pregnancy on the risk of ASD in the offspring. The meta-analyses set different study selection criteria and employed different methods of analysis to address different objectives. The findings across meta-analyses have been reasonably consistent. Antidepressant exposure during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of ASD in the offspring. The risk is decreased after adjusting for confounding variables and is mostly no longer statistically significant after adjusting for maternal mental illness. Additionally, antidepressant exposure is associated with an increased risk of ASD in the offspring even when exposure is limited to the preconception period, when the drugs cannot have a physiological effect on the fetus. These findings suggest that maternal mental illness is an important determinant of the risk of ASD associated with antidepressant exposure during pregnancy.
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3. Ashwin C, Wheelwright S, Baron-Cohen S. {{Differences in change blindness to real-life scenes in adults with autism spectrum conditions}}. {PLoS One}. 2017; 12(10): e0185120.
People often fail to detect large changes to visual scenes following a brief interruption, an effect known as ‘change blindness’. People with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have superior attention to detail and better discrimination of targets, and often notice small details that are missed by others. Together these predict people with autism should show enhanced perception of changes in simple change detection paradigms, including reduced change blindness. However, change blindness studies to date have reported mixed results in ASC, which have sometimes included no differences to controls or even enhanced change blindness. Attenuated change blindness has only been reported to date in ASC in children and adolescents, with no study reporting reduced change blindness in adults with ASC. The present study used a change blindness flicker task to investigate the detection of changes in images of everyday life in adults with ASC (n = 22) and controls (n = 22) using a simple change detection task design and full range of original scenes as stimuli. Results showed the adults with ASC had reduced change blindness compared to adult controls for changes to items of marginal interest in scenes, with no group difference for changes to items of central interest. There were no group differences in overall response latencies to correctly detect changes nor in the overall number of missed detections in the experiment. However, the ASC group showed greater missed changes for marginal interest changes of location, showing some evidence of greater change blindness as well. These findings show both reduced change blindness to marginal interest changes in ASC, based on response latencies, as well as greater change blindness to changes of location of marginal interest items, based on detection rates. The findings of reduced change blindness are consistent with clinical reports that people with ASC often notice small changes to less salient items within their environment, and are in-line with theories of enhanced local processing and greater attention to detail in ASC. The findings of lower detection rates for one of the marginal interest conditions may be related to problems in shifting attention or an overly focused attention spotlight.
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4. Chouinard B, Volden J, Cribben I, Cummine J. {{Neurological evaluation of the selection stage of metaphor comprehension in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder}}. {Neuroscience}. 2017; 361: 19-33.
Because of their difficulties with figurative language in conversation, it is commonly thought that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not understand figurative meaning. However, recent research indicates that individuals with and without ASD are similar in the first two stages of metaphor comprehension, up to and including successful generation of the figurative meaning. In the current study, we used a sentence decision task to evaluate the subsequent stage of metaphor comprehension, the selection stage, which requires suppression/inhibition of the unintended meaning as part of selecting the intended meaning. fMRI activation and functional connectivity were used to compare the selection stage of metaphor comprehension between high-functioning individuals with ASD and carefully matched controls. Cortical and subcortical regions of interest were selected based on the basal-ganglia model of cognitive control. Compared to controls, individuals with ASD recruited greater activation in regions related to verbal memory (thalamus), semantic associations (medial temporal gyrus), and basic visual processing (middle occipital gyrus). Functional connectivity analysis revealed fewer overall connections and cortical-subcortical connections in the ASD group compared to controls. There was a novel finding of maintenance of subcortical-subcortical connectivity in the ASD group, specific to the selection condition, despite differences in cortically involved connections. Reduced cortical-subcortical connectivity in the ASD group compared to controls may reflect a more global impairment in cognitive control pathways, while consistent subcortical-subcortical connectivity may reflect systemic inflexibility or preserved subcortical function and dissociation between subcortical and cortical systems. Further investigation is required.
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5. Darcy-Mahoney A, Minter B, Higgins M, Guo Y, Williams B, Head Zauche LM, Birth K. {{Probability of an Autism Diagnosis by Gestational Age}}. {Newborn Infant Nurs Rev}. 2016; 16(4): 322-6.
Early preterm infants (EPT) (<33 6/7 weeks) are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) but prevalence estimates vary widely across studies. Furthermore, there are very few studies addressing the association between late preterm (LPT) births (34-36 6/7 weeks) and ASDs. To address the question of whether LPT infants carry the same risk for ASDs as full-term infants, this study aimed to estimate the relative probability of an ASD diagnosis using Bayes rule. A retrospective cohort analysis of 406 children was undertaken to look at gestational age, ASDs, and birth history. The application of Bayes rule was used, given that there is not sufficient information about the joint probabilities related to prematurity and autism. Using the estimated gestational age proportions within ASD diagnosis, plus national estimates of ASDs, probabilities for ASDs within a given gestational age were calculated. Among these 406 children with ASDs, 6.7% were EPT and 10.6% were LPT. In comparison to full term, EPT children are at 1.9 multiplicative increase in risk (95% CI [1.3, 2.5]). While the probability of ASDs for LPT children was higher than that for term, the estimated relative risk of the LPT infants was not statistically significant (95% CI [0.9, 1.5]). EPT infants were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ASDs compared to their term peers. While the relative probability of ASD diagnosis among children born LPT was not statistically significant in this limited sample, the results indicate a possible elevated risk. A larger cohort is needed to adequately estimate this risk. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
6. Dickerson AS, Rotem RS, Christian MA, Nguyen VT, Specht AJ. {{Potential Sex Differences Relative to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Metals}}. {Curr Environ Health Rep}. 2017.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This study aims to summarize the current body of literature on the relationship between various toxic metals exposures (i.e., aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and nickel) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a focus on potential sex differences in these associations. RECENT FINDINGS: Sex differences in ASD diagnosis and mutagenic effects of toxic exposures indicate that sex differences may play a major part in the causal relationship of any potential associations seen; however, we were only able to find three studies that reported on sex differences in observed associations with toxic metals exposure and ASD. We also found several studies investigating associations between ASD and metals exposures, including 11 on aluminum, 6 on antimony, 15 on arsenic, 5 on beryllium, 17 on cadmium, 11 on chromium, 25 on lead, 14 on manganese, and 13 on nickel with markers of exposure in hair, urine, blood, teeth, fingernails, and air pollution. Results for each metal were conflicting, but studies on cadmium and lead yielded the highest proportion of studies with positive results (72% and 36%, respectively). Based on our examination of existing literature, the current evidence warrants a considerable need for evaluations of sex differences in future studies assessing the association between metals exposures and ASD. Additionally, failure to account for potential sex differences could result in bias and misinterpretation of exposure-disease relationships.
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7. DiGuiseppi C, Levy SE, Sabourin KR, Soke GN, Rosenberg S, Lee LC, Moody E, Schieve LA. {{Injuries in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study to Explore Early Development (SEED)}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
This study examined caregiver-reported medically-attended injuries among 30-68 month old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to general population (POP) and non-ASD developmental disorders (DD) controls in the Study to Explore Early Development. Injuries were common in ASD cases (32.3%) as well as POP (30.2%) and DD (27.8%) controls; most resulted in an emergency visit or hospitalization. After accounting for sociodemographic, health, IQ and behavior differences, odds of injury in ASD cases were significantly higher than DD controls but similar to POP controls. Attention problems mediated the relationships. Clinicians caring for children with both ASD and attention problems should consider providing targeted safety advice. Differences in injury risk between children with ASD vs. other developmental disorders need further study.
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8. Gold R, Segal O. {{The bouba-kiki effect and its relation to the Autism Quotient (AQ) in autistic adolescents}}. {Res Dev Disabil}. 2017; 71: 11-7.
The bouba-kiki effect refers to the correspondence between arbitrary visual and auditory stimuli. Previous studies indicate ASD persons’ reduced bouba-kiki effect compared to controls. This study examines the relation between ASD symptomology and performance on the bouba-kiki task. Twenty ASD participants and 20 matched controls were presented the bouba-kiki task. Autism-Quotient (AQ) scores and several cognitive measures were obtained for all participants. Results demonstrate that among all measures, only AQ scores were significantly correlated to the performance on the bouba-kiki task in the ASD group. Results thus support the existence of a relation between autism symptoms and performance on the bouba-kiki task, and are discussed in light of current theories.
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9. Heinrich M, Bohm J, Sappok T. {{Diagnosing Autism in Adults with Intellectual Disability: Validation of the DiBAS-R in an Independent Sample}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
The study assessed the diagnostic validity of the diagnostic behavioral assessment for autism spectrum disorders-revised (DiBAS-R; 19-item screening scale based on ratings by caregivers) in a clinical sample of 381 adults with ID. Analysis revealed a sensitivity of 0.82 and a specificity of 0.67 in the overall sample (70.3% agreement). Sensitivity (0.79) and specificity (0.84) were balanced in individuals with mild to moderate ID (83.3% agreement), while specificity was lower in individuals with severe to profound ID (sensitivity: 0.83, specificity: 0.34, 51% agreement). The level of ID as well as its interaction with ASD explained a significant proportion of the variance in the DiBAS-R scores. The DiBAS-R is an adequate screening tool, especially in individuals with mild to moderate ID.
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10. Hoyland AL, Naerland T, Engstrom M, Lydersen S, Andreassen OA. {{The relation between face-emotion recognition and social function in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A case control study}}. {PLoS One}. 2017; 12(10): e0186124.
An altered processing of emotions may contribute to a reduced ability for social interaction and communication in autism spectrum disorder, ASD. We investigated how face-emotion recognition in ASD is different from typically developing across adolescent age groups. Fifty adolescents diagnosed with ASD and 49 typically developing (age 12-21 years) were included. The ASD diagnosis was underpinned by parent-rated Social Communication Questionnaire. We used a cued GO/ NOGO task with pictures of facial expressions and recorded reaction time, intra-individual variability of reaction time and omissions/commissions. The Social Responsiveness Scale was used as a measure of social function. Analyses were conducted for the whole group and for young (< 16 years) and old (>/= 16 years) age groups. We found no significant differences in any task measures between the whole group of typically developing and ASD and no significant correlations with the Social Responsiveness Scale. However, there was a non-significant tendency for longer reaction time in the young group with ASD (p = 0.099). The Social Responsiveness Scale correlated positively with reaction time (r = 0.30, p = 0.032) and intra-individual variability in reaction time (r = 0.29, p = 0.037) in the young group and in contrast, negatively in the old group (r = -0.23, p = 0.13; r = -0.38, p = 0.011, respectively) giving significant age group interactions for both reaction time (p = 0.008) and intra-individual variability in reaction time (p = 0.001). Our findings suggest an age-dependent association between emotion recognition and severity of social problems indicating a delayed development of emotional understanding in ASD. It also points towards alterations in top-down attention control in the ASD group. This suggests novel disease-related features that should be investigated in more details in experimental settings.
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11. Iadarola S, Levato L, Harrison B, Smith T, Lecavalier L, Johnson C, Swiezy N, Bearss K, Scahill L. {{Teaching Parents Behavioral Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Effects on Stress, Strain, and Competence}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
We report on parent outcomes from a randomized clinical trial of parent training (PT) versus psychoeducation (PEP) in 180 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and disruptive behavior. We compare the impact of PT and PEP on parent outcomes: Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Parent Sense of Competence (PSOC), and Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ). Mixed-effects linear models evaluated differences at weeks 12 and 24, controlling for baseline scores. Parents in PT reported greater improvement than PEP on the PSOC (ES = 0.34), CGSQ (ES = 0.50), and difficult child subdomain of the PSI (ES = 0.44). This is the largest trial assessing PT in ASD on parent outcomes. PT reduces disruptive behavior in children, and improves parental competence while reducing parental stress and parental strain.
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12. Jackson SLJ, Hart L, Brown JT, Volkmar FR. {{Brief Report: Self-Reported Academic, Social, and Mental Health Experiences of Post-Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Increasing numbers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are enrolling in post-secondary academic institutions. However, research indicates that post-secondary students with ASD are struggling more than their typically developing peers, with high rates of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and an increased incidence of dropping-out before completion of their degrees. The current study utilized an online survey to gain insight into the self-reported academic, social, and mental health experiences of post-secondary students with ASD. Participants reported high levels of academic comfort, but struggled with issues of isolation/loneliness and high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Of greatest concern, were the nearly three-quarters of participants who reported lifetime suicidal behaviors. Further analysis on collected data and implications of findings are discussed.
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13. Jhang CL, Huang TN, Hsueh YP, Liao W. {{Mice lacking cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 manifest autistic and ADHD-like behaviors}}. {Hum Mol Genet}. 2017; 26(20): 3922-34.
Neurodevelopmental disorders frequently share common clinical features and appear high rate of comorbidity, such as those present in patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While characterizing behavioral phenotypes in the mouse model of cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked gene encoding CDKL5, we found that these mice manifested behavioral phenotypes mimicking multiple key features of ASD, such as impaired social interaction and communication, as well as increased stereotypic digging behaviors. These mice also displayed hyper-locomotion, increased aggressiveness and impulsivity, plus deficits in motor and associative learning, resembling primary symptoms of ADHD. Through brain region-specific biochemical analysis, we uncovered that loss of CDKL5 disrupts dopamine synthesis and the expression of social communication-related key genes, such as forkhead-box P2 and mu-opioid receptor, in the corticostriatal circuit. Together, our findings support that CDKL5 plays a role in the comorbid features of autism and ADHD, and mice lacking CDKL5 may serve as an animal model to study the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying autism-ADHD comorbidity.
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14. Kennedy T, Broadie K. {{Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein Restricts Small Dye Iontophoresis Entry into Central Neurons}}. {J Neurosci}. 2017; 37(41): 9844-58.
Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) loss causes Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a major disorder characterized by autism, intellectual disability, hyperactivity, and seizures. FMRP is both an RNA- and channel-binding regulator, with critical roles in neural circuit formation and function. However, it remains unclear how these FMRP activities relate to each other and how dysfunction in their absence underlies FXS neurological symptoms. In testing circuit level defects in the Drosophila FXS model, we discovered a completely unexpected and highly robust neuronal dye iontophoresis phenotype in the well mapped giant fiber (GF) circuit. Controlled dye injection into the GF interneuron results in a dramatic increase in dye uptake in neurons lacking FMRP. Transgenic wild-type FMRP reintroduction rescues the mutant defect, demonstrating a specific FMRP requirement. This phenotype affects only small dyes, but is independent of dye charge polarity. Surprisingly, the elevated dye iontophoresis persists in shaking B mutants that eliminate gap junctions and dye coupling among GF circuit neurons. We therefore used a wide range of manipulations to investigate the dye uptake defect, including timed injection series, pharmacology and ion replacement, and optogenetic activity studies. The results show that FMRP strongly limits the rate of dye entry via a cytosolic mechanism. This study reveals an unexpected new phenotype in a physical property of central neurons lacking FMRP that could underlie aspects of FXS disruption of neural function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT FXS is a leading heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. Although researchers established the causal link with FMRP loss >;25 years ago, studies continue to reveal diverse FMRP functions. The Drosophila FXS model is key to discovering new FMRP roles, because of its genetic malleability and individually identified neuron maps. Taking advantage of a well characterized Drosophila neural circuit, we discovered that neurons lacking FMRP take up dramatically more current-injected small dye. After examining many neuronal properties, we determined that this dye defect is cytoplasmic and occurs due to a highly elevated dye iontophoresis rate. We also report several new factors affecting neuron dye uptake. Understanding how FMRP regulates iontophoresis should reveal new molecular factors underpinning FXS dysfunction.
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15. Lecavalier L, Pan X, Smith T, Handen BL, Arnold LE, Silverman L, Tumuluru RV, Hollway J, Aman MG. {{Parent Stress in a Randomized Clinical Trial of Atomoxetine and Parent Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
We previously reported a 2 x 2 randomized clinical trial of atomoxetine (ATX) and parent training (PT) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and behavioral noncompliance in 128 children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 5-14 years. Children were randomized to one of four conditions: ATX alone, placebo alone, ATX + PT, or PT + placebo. Both ATX and PT improved some indices of ADHD and behavioral compliance. In this report, we describe parent stress over time and across conditions. All four treatments improved parent self-rated stress from baseline to week 10. However, there were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups. Significantly more improvement in parent stress scores was observed for clinical responders than non-responders. ClinicalTrials.gov Title: Atomoxetine, Placebo and Parent Management Training in Autism (Strattera) ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00844753.
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16. Mademtzi M, Singh P, Shic F, Koenig K. {{Challenges of Females with Autism: A Parental Perspective}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Most studies investigating the experiences and needs of individuals with ASD have largely focused on males. Hence, this study investigates parents’ perspectives on the challenges that their daughters with ASD face. In total, 40 parents of 40 females with autism (age range = 4-29 years; mean = 15.9) participated in the study. Five separate, 2-h long focus groups were conducted, with 7-10 participants in each group. Field notes were analyzed using thematic analysis. Some of the issues parents discussed were similar to those experienced by males with ASD, such as challenges in social interactions. However, other issues discussed were of particular relevance to girls with ASD, including difficulties socializing with other girls, sex-specific puberty issues, barriers in accessing intervention and sexual vulnerability.
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17. Mitjans M, Begemann M, Ju A, Dere E, Wustefeld L, Hofer S, Hassouna I, Balkenhol J, Oliveira B, van der Auwera S, Tammer R, Hammerschmidt K, Volzke H, Homuth G, Cecconi F, Chowdhury K, Grabe H, Frahm J, Boretius S, Dandekar T, Ehrenreich H. {{Sexual dimorphism of AMBRA1-related autistic features in human and mouse}}. {Transl Psychiatry}. 2017; 7(10): e1247.
Ambra1 is linked to autophagy and neurodevelopment. Heterozygous Ambra1 deficiency induces autism-like behavior in a sexually dimorphic manner. Extraordinarily, autistic features are seen in female mice only, combined with stronger Ambra1 protein reduction in brain compared to males. However, significance of AMBRA1 for autistic phenotypes in humans and, apart from behavior, for other autism-typical features, namely early brain enlargement or increased seizure propensity, has remained unexplored. Here we show in two independent human samples that a single normal AMBRA1 genotype, the intronic SNP rs3802890-AA, is associated with autistic features in women, who also display lower AMBRA1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells relative to female GG carriers. Located within a non-coding RNA, likely relevant for mRNA and protein interaction, rs3802890 (A versus G allele) may affect its stability through modification of folding, as predicted by in silico analysis. Searching for further autism-relevant characteristics in Ambra1+/- mice, we observe reduced interest of female but not male mutants regarding pheromone signals of the respective other gender in the social intellicage set-up. Moreover, altered pentylentetrazol-induced seizure propensity, an in vivo readout of neuronal excitation-inhibition dysbalance, becomes obvious exclusively in female mutants. Magnetic resonance imaging reveals mild prepubertal brain enlargement in both genders, uncoupling enhanced brain dimensions from the primarily female expression of all other autistic phenotypes investigated here. These data support a role of AMBRA1/Ambra1 partial loss-of-function genotypes for female autistic traits. Moreover, they suggest Ambra1 heterozygous mice as a novel multifaceted and construct-valid genetic mouse model for female autism.
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18. Morimoto C, Hida E, Shima K, Okamura H. {{Temporal Processing Instability with Millisecond Accuracy is a Cardinal Feature of Sensorimotor Impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Analysis Using the Synchronized Finger-Tapping Task}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
To identify a specific sensorimotor impairment feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we focused on temporal processing with millisecond accuracy. A synchronized finger-tapping task was used to characterize temporal processing in individuals with ASD as compared to typically developing (TD) individuals. We found that individuals with ASD showed more variability in temporal processing parameters than TD individuals. In addition, temporal processing instability was related to altered motor performance. Further, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses indicated that altered temporal processing can be useful for distinguishing between individuals with and without ASD. These results suggest that instability of temporal processing with millisecond accuracy is a fundamental feature of sensorimotor impairments in ASD.
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19. Mosca E, Bersanelli M, Gnocchi M, Moscatelli M, Castellani G, Milanesi L, Mezzelani A. {{Network Diffusion-Based Prioritization of Autism Risk Genes Identifies Significantly Connected Gene Modules}}. {Front Genet}. 2017; 8: 129.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is marked by a strong genetic heterogeneity, which is underlined by the low overlap between ASD risk gene lists proposed in different studies. In this context, molecular networks can be used to analyze the results of several genome-wide studies in order to underline those network regions harboring genetic variations associated with ASD, the so-called « disease modules. » In this work, we used a recent network diffusion-based approach to jointly analyze multiple ASD risk gene lists. We defined genome-scale prioritizations of human genes in relation to ASD genes from multiple studies, found significantly connected gene modules associated with ASD and predicted genes functionally related to ASD risk genes. Most of them play a role in synapsis and neuronal development and function; many are related to syndromes that can be in comorbidity with ASD and the remaining are involved in epigenetics, cell cycle, cell adhesion and cancer.
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20. Patel S, Masi A, Dale RC, Whitehouse AJO, Pokorski I, Alvares GA, Hickie IB, Breen E, Guastella AJ. {{Social impairments in autism spectrum disorder are related to maternal immune history profile}}. {Mol Psychiatry}. 2017.
Maternal immune activation has been highlighted as a factor that might increase the risk and severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Preclinical animal evidence shows that immune activation in mothers during pregnancy causes ASD-like behavioural traits in offspring. To this point, there has been no investigation of whether immune system activation in human mothers during pregnancy is associated with more severe symptoms in children with ASD. In this study, data from an existing ASD cohort (N=220) were analysed to investigate whether immune conditions in the mother were associated with greater severity of autism-related symptoms. Results showed that children whose mothers reported a history of immune activation (allergies and asthma) had significantly higher scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS; P=0.016), suggesting more severe social impairment symptoms in these children. This increasing severity of social impairment symptoms was further shown on the SRS cognition (P=0.007) and mannerisms (P=0.002) subscales. While immune history was associated with an increase in the severity of social impairment symptoms, history of autoimmune conditions in the mother did not have any effect in this cohort. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show an association between immune activation history in the mother and increased ASD symptom severity in children with ASD. These findings support the idea of an immune system-mediated subtype in ASD, where the immune history of the mother may be an important factor.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 10 October 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.201.
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21. Sawyer M. {{Book review: ‘Neurotribes – the legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently’ Steve Silberman ‘Neurotribes – the legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently’ Silberman Steve Allen and Unwin , 2015 ; 544 pp. ISBN- 9781760113629}}. {Australas Psychiatry}. 2016; 24(6): 621.
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22. Schauder KB, Park WJ, Tadin D, Bennetto L. {{Larger Receptive Field Size as a Mechanism Underlying Atypical Motion Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Clin Psychol Sci}. 2017; 5(5): 827-42.
Atypical visual motion perception has been widely observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The pattern of results, however, has been inconsistent. Emerging mechanistic hypotheses seek to explain these variable patterns of atypical motion sensitivity, each uniquely predicting specific patterns of performance across varying stimulus conditions. Here, we investigated the integrity of two such fundamental mechanisms-response gain control and receptive field size. Twenty children and adolescents with ASD and 20 typically developing (TD) age- and IQ-matched controls performed a motion discrimination task. To adequately model group differences in both mechanisms of interest, we tested a range of 23 stimulus conditions varying in size and contrast. Results revealed a motion perception impairment in ASD that was specific to the smallest sized stimuli (1 degrees ), irrespective of stimulus contrast. Model analyses provided evidence for larger receptive field size in ASD as the mechanism that explains this size-specific reduction of motion sensitivity.
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23. Sison V, Stackhouse T, Breeze R, Hall T, McKenzie P, Tartaglia N. {{Arteriovenous Malformation in a Youth with Atypical Autism Symptoms}}. {J Child Dev Disord}. 2017; 3(1).
Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) present a challenge to diagnose in children with developmental disability, because of the overlap in behavioral symptoms and neurologic manifestations. They have been very rarely reported in conjunction with autism spectrum disorder. This case involves a 13 year old male with a history of autism spectrum disorder and significant behavioral issues diagnosed with a thalamic AVM following lateralizing neurologic symptoms. Despite radiosurgical treatment, hemorrhage followed consequently causing extensive neurologic injury and death. This case emphasizes the need for close follow up and coordination within a medical home for children with developmental disabilities. A multidisciplinary team approach is ideal to allow detection of subtle neurologic changes over time that may be masked as behavioral difficulties.
24. St Amant HG, Schrager SM, Pena-Ricardo C, Williams ME, Vanderbilt DL. {{Language Barriers Impact Access to Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Racial and ethnic disparities in accessing health care have been described in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a retrospective chart review of 152 children with ASD, children of parents whose primary language was English were significantly more likely to have both social skills and communication goals within their individualized education plan (IEP) compared to children of parents whose primary language was not English. Additionally, children of primary English speakers received significantly more hours of direct services from their state disability program. After controlling for demographic covariates, findings suggest that language barriers may negatively affect parents’ abilities to access health care services for their child with ASD. Acculturation factors must therefore be considered when analyzing disparities in autism.
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25. Zane E, Neumeyer K, Mertens J, Chugg A, Grossman RB. {{I Think We’re Alone Now: Solitary Social Behaviors in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Abnorm Child Psychol}. 2017.
Research into emotional responsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has yielded mixed findings. Some studies report uniform, flat and emotionless expressions in ASD; others describe highly variable expressions that are as or even more intense than those of typically developing (TD) individuals. Variability in findings is likely due to differences in study design: some studies have examined posed (i.e., not spontaneous expressions) and others have examined spontaneous expressions in social contexts, during which individuals with ASD-by nature of the disorder-are likely to behave differently than their TD peers. To determine whether (and how) spontaneous facial expressions and other emotional responses are different from TD individuals, we video-recorded the spontaneous responses of children and adolescents with and without ASD (between the ages of 10 and 17 years) as they watched emotionally evocative videos in a non-social context. Researchers coded facial expressions for intensity, and noted the presence of laughter and other responsive vocalizations. Adolescents with ASD displayed more intense, frequent and varied spontaneous facial expressions than their TD peers. They also produced significantly more emotional vocalizations, including laughter. Individuals with ASD may display their emotions more frequently and more intensely than TD individuals when they are unencumbered by social pressure. Differences in the interpretation of the social setting and/or understanding of emotional display rules may also contribute to differences in emotional behaviors between groups.
