1. Basheer S, Uvais NA. Vaccination Behavior Among Children With Developmental Delay and Their Siblings: A Cross-Sectional Study From India. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord;2022 (Jul 12);24(4)

Objective: Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, parental concerns with respect to the association between vaccination and development of autism spectrum disorder persist. The objective of this study was to assess the vaccination uptake and its associated factors in siblings of children with developmental delay. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2017 to February 2018. The families of children with developmental delay, according to evaluation by a psychiatrist per ICD-10 criteria, were recruited from 3 child development centers. The data were collected using a semistructured questionnaire. Results: 189 families with children with developmental delay were recruited into the study. In total, these children had 114 typically developing elder siblings and 50 typically developing younger siblings. The proportions of overall complete vaccination among the children with developmental delay group and the younger sibling group were significantly lower than the older sibling group (P < .01). The proportions of MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella) vaccination among the children with developmental delay group and the younger sibling group were significantly lower than the older sibling group (P < .001). Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that reduced vaccination uptake is a general trend in families of children with developmental delay. Such a significant decline in the vaccination rate in this group of children will make them vulnerable if outbreaks occur. Therefore, public health strategies targeted to improve vaccination rates in families of children with developmental delay are needed.

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2. Davis K, Iosif AM, Nordahl CW, Solomon M, Krug MK. Video Game Use, Aggression, and Social Impairment in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 12)

We used parent report data to investigate video game playing, aggression, and social impairment in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Parents of autistic adolescents were more likely to report that their child plays video games as a hobby compared to parents of adolescents with typical development and also reported that their children spent more time playing video games. For autistic participants, we found no differences in aggression levels or social impairment when comparing players versus non-players. However, playing video games « more than average, » as compared to « average » was associated with greater aggression and greater social impairment on « awareness » and « mannerisms » subscales. Future studies should focus on how type of video game(s) played is associated with these clinically important variables.

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3. 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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4. 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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5. Kim SA. Transition to Kindergarten for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Perspectives of Korean-American Parents. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 12)

This study explores Korean-American parents’ perceptions on successful transition to kindergarten (TTK) for their child on the autism spectrum. It further examines challenges experienced during this process, and possible predictors for their challenges. Findings from an online survey (N = 212) indicate that participants consider their child’s behavioral readiness and cooperation with teachers as the most important school readiness skills for successful TTK. They further consider building positive relationships with teachers and providing support at home as the most important support parents could provide during this process. Moreover, the child being a vocal communicator, higher income and parent’s educational level were found to buffer against their reported challenges, while first-generation immigrant status and restrictive school placement were found to predict more challenges.

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6. Mehta R, Kuhad A, Bhandari R. Nitric oxide pathway as a plausible therapeutic target in autism spectrum disorders. Expert Opin Ther Targets;2022 (Jul 9)

BACKGROUND: The nitric oxide pathway has been pivotal in exploring neurodevelopmental disorders. Pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is also suspected to involve a number of biological cascades triggered by nitric oxide-induced neurotoxicity. The excessive nitric oxide levels caused by varied toxicants leads to formation of reactive nitrogenous species along with ROS leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and altered NOS expression responsible for worsening of behavioural complications. AREAS COVERED: In this article, we will discuss the plausible role of the nitric oxide pathway in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and also discuss the modulation of this pathway by therapeutics which can be explored in clinics for mitigating nitrosative stress in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Literature was searched utilizing various databases such as Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 1966 to 2021. EXPERT OPINION: Nitric oxide pathway is an unexplored domain in the field of autism spectrum disorder and could act as an important therapeutic target in providing relief from behavioral alterations in autistic patients. At present no major experimental study confirms the role of nitric oxide in autism. However, conclusive pre-clinical and clinical evidence is needed to evaluate and establish the role of nitric oxide in ASD.

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7. Melo X, Marôco JL, Pinto R, Angarten VG, Coimbra M, Correia D, Roque M, Reis JF, Santos V, Fernhall B, Santa-Clara H. The Acute Effect of Maximal Exercise on Arterial Stiffness in Adults with and without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab;2022 (Jul 12)

PURPOSE: We compared central and peripheral arterial stiffness response patterns between persons with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) of different age groups at rest and following a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). METHODS: 15 young adults with and without IDD, and 15 middle-aged adults without IDD performed a CPET. Central and peripheral arterial stiffness were measured at rest and following CPET using estimates of carotid-femoral (cfPWV), carotid-radial (crPWV), and carotid-ankle (cdPWV) pulse wave velocity derived from piezoelectric mechano-transducers. RESULTS: cfPWV remained unchanged following CPET in adults with and without IDD but increased in middle-aged adults (d= 0.85; 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.42 m.s-1, p= 0.005), whereas cdPWV was similarly reduced (d= -0.77; 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.48 m.s-1, p< 0.001) in all groups. crPWV remained unchanged in all groups. These results were independent of exercise-related changes in mean arterial pressure. Overall group differences suggested that persons with IDD (d = - 1.78; 95% CI: -3.20 to -0.37 m.s-1, p= 0.009) and without IDD (d = -1.84; 95% CI: -3.26 to -0.43 m.s-1, p= 0.007) had lower cfPWV than middle-aged adults. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of early vascular aging and diminished vascular reserve following CPET in adults with IDD.

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8. Muscatello RA, Pachol A, Romines A, Smith I, Corbett BA. Development and Parasympathetic Regulation in Male and Female Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Two-Timepoint Longitudinal Study. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 12)

Prolonged dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may increase propensity for physical or psychiatric illness. The current study examined differences in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) regulation in 215 adolescents with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at Time 1 (T1; 10-13 years old) and 1 year later (Time 2; T2). Linear mixed effects models demonstrated lower RSA regulation in ASD, and a small interaction effect, showing blunted change in RSA from T1 to T2. Developmental differences in RSA regulation were particularly notable in females with ASD and those taking psychotropic medications. Results expand previous findings of reduced parasympathetic regulation in ASD by revealing a blunted developmental slope, indicating diagnostic differences may persist or worsen over time, particularly in females.

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9. Seguin D, Pac S, Wang J, Nicolson R, Martinez-Trujillo J, Anagnostou E, Lerch JP, Hammill C, Schachar R, Crosbie J, Kelley E, Ayub M, Brian J, Liu X, Arnold PD, Georgiades S, Duerden EG. Amygdala subnuclei volumes and anxiety behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hum Brain Mapp;2022 (Jul 12)

Alterations in the structural maturation of the amygdala subnuclei volumes are associated with anxiety behaviors in adults and children with neurodevelopmental and associated disorders. This study investigated the relationship between amygdala subnuclei volumes and anxiety in 233 children and adolescents (mean age = 11.02 years; standard deviation = 3.17) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and children with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as typically developing (TD) children. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the children underwent structural MRI at 3 T. FreeSurfer software was used to automatically segment the amygdala subnuclei. A general linear model revealed that children and adolescents with ASD, ADHD, and OCD had higher anxiety scores compared to TD children (p < .001). A subsequent interaction analysis revealed that children with ASD (B = 0.09, p < .0001) and children with OCD (B = 0.1, p < .0001) who had high anxiety had larger right central nuclei volumes compared with TD children. Similar results were obtained for the right anterior amygdaloid area. Amygdala subnuclei volumes may be key to identifying children with neurodevelopmental disorders or those with OCD who are at high risk for anxiety. Findings may inform the development of targeted behavioral interventions to address anxiety behaviors and to assess the downstream effects of such interventions.

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10. 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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11. Tiwari R, Chakrabarty B. Autism Spectrum Disorder and Epilepsy: Exploring the Missing Links. Indian J Pediatr;2022 (Jul 12)

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12. Wehman P, Schall C, Avellone L, McDonough J, Whittenburg H, Dubois T, Broda M. Correction: Effects of a 9-Month Military-Base Internship on the Competitive Integrated Employment of Military Dependent and Connected Youth with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 12)

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13. Netser S, Nahardiya G, Weiss-Dicker G, Dadush R, Goussha Y, John SR, Taub M, Werber Y, Sapir N, Yovel Y, Harony-Nicolas H, Buxbaum JD, Cohen L, Crammer K, Wagner S. TrackUSF, a novel tool for automated ultrasonic vocalization analysis, reveals modified calls in a rat model of autism. BMC Biol;2022 (Jul 12);20(1):159.

BACKGROUND: Various mammalian species emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which reflect their emotional state and mediate social interactions. USVs are usually analyzed by manual or semi-automated methodologies that categorize discrete USVs according to their structure in the frequency-time domains. This laborious analysis hinders the effective use of USVs as a readout for high-throughput analysis of behavioral changes in animals. RESULTS: Here we present a novel automated open-source tool that utilizes a different approach towards USV analysis, termed TrackUSF. To validate TrackUSF, we analyzed calls from different animal species, namely mice, rats, and bats, recorded in various settings and compared the results with a manual analysis by a trained observer. We found that TrackUSF detected the majority of USVs, with less than 1% of false-positive detections. We then employed TrackUSF to analyze social vocalizations in Shank3-deficient rats, a rat model of autism, and revealed that these vocalizations exhibit a spectrum of deviations from appetitive calls towards aversive calls. CONCLUSIONS: TrackUSF is a simple and easy-to-use system that may be used for a high-throughput comparison of ultrasonic vocalizations between groups of animals of any kind in any setting, with no prior assumptions.

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14. 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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15. Nthibeli M, Griffiths D, Bekker T. Teaching learners with autism in the South African inclusive classroom: Pedagogic strategies and possibilities. Afr J Disabil;2022;11:979.

BACKGROUND: Although inclusive education is widely discussed, its implementation has not, arguably, been far-reaching. There remains a lack of specific, targeted approaches towards fully including learners with physical and mental impairments in the educational space. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the extent of the inclusion of learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in three schools in Johannesburg. METHOD: A qualitative interpretivist design was adopted. Teachers who work with learners with ASD were interviewed using open-ended questions. The sampled data were analysed using thematic analysis, making use of both a priori codes and emergent codes that arose from the open-ended questions. RESULTS: The findings reveal numerous pedagogic strategies such as differentiation, scaffolding, use of visual cues, group work and collaboration that can include learners with ASD in the classroom space. CONCLUSION: Teacher collaboration and teacher training are vital in ensuring that learners with ASD are fully included in the classroom space.

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16. Connacher R, Williams M, Prem S, Yeung PL, Matteson P, Mehta M, Markov A, Peng C, Zhou X, McDermott CR, Pang ZP, Flax J, Brzustowicz L, Lu CW, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E. Autism NPCs from both idiopathic and CNV 16p11.2 deletion patients exhibit dysregulation of proliferation and mitogenic responses. Stem Cell Reports;2022 (Jul 12);17(7):1786.

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17. Tu Z, Fan C, Davis AK, Hu M, Wang C, Dandamudi A, Seu KG, Kalfa TA, Lu QR, Zheng Y. Autism-associated chromatin remodeler CHD8 regulates erythroblast cytokinesis and fine-tunes the balance of Rho GTPase signaling. Cell Rep;2022 (Jul 12);40(2):111072.

CHD8 is an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling factor whose monoallelic mutation defines a subtype of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Previous work found that CHD8 is required for the maintenance of hematopoiesis by integrating ATM-P53-mediated survival of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Here, by using Chd8(F/F)Mx1-Cre combined with a Trp53(F/F) mouse model that suppresses apoptosis of Chd8(-/-) HSPCs, we identify CHD8 as an essential regulator of erythroid differentiation. Chd8(-/-)P53(-/-) mice exhibited severe anemia conforming to congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) phenotypes. Loss of CHD8 leads to drastically decreased numbers of orthochromatic erythroblasts and increased binucleated and multinucleated basophilic erythroblasts with a cytokinesis failure in erythroblasts. CHD8 binds directly to the gene bodies of multiple Rho GTPase signaling genes in erythroblasts, and loss of CHD8 results in their dysregulated expression, leading to decreased RhoA and increased Rac1 and Cdc42 activities. Our study shows that autism-associated CHD8 is essential for erythroblast cytokinesis.

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18. Godel M, Robain F, Kojovic N, Franchini M, Wood de Wilde H, Schaer M. Distinct Patterns of Cognitive Outcome in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Receiving the Early Start Denver Model. Front Psychiatry;2022;13:835580.

Evidence-based, early intervention significantly improves developmental outcome in young children with autism. Nonetheless, there is high interindividual heterogeneity in developmental trajectories during the therapy. It is established that starting intervention as early as possible results in better developmental outcomes. But except for younger age at start, there is no clear consensus about behavioral characteristics that could provide a reliable individual prediction of a child’s developmental outcome after receiving an early intervention. In this study, we analyze developmental trajectories of preschoolers with autism who received 2 years of intervention using the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) approach in Geneva, Switzerland in an individual setting (n = 55, aged 28.7 ± 5.1 months with a range of 15-42). Our aim was to identify early predictors of response to intervention. We applied a cluster analysis to distinguish between 3 groups based on their cognitive level at intake, and rates of cognitive change over the course of intervention. The first group of children only had a mild cognitive delay at intake and nearly no cognitive delay by the end of intervention (Higher Cognitive at baseline: HC). The children in the two other groups all presented with severe cognitive delay at baseline. However, they had two very different patterns of response to intervention. The majority significantly improved developmental scores over the course of intervention (Optimal Responders: OptR) whereas a minority of children showed only modest improvement (Minimal Responders: MinR). Further analyses showed that children who ended up having an optimal 2-year intervention outcome (OptR) were characterized by higher adaptive functioning at baseline combined with rapid developmental improvement during the first 6 months of intervention. Inversely, less significant progress by the sixth month of intervention was associated with a less optimal response to treatment (MinR).

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19. Liu J, Liu C, Gao Z, Zhou L, Gao J, Luo Y, Liu T, Fan X. GW4064 Alters Gut Microbiota Composition and Counteracts Autism-Associated Behaviors in BTBR T+tf/J Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol;2022;12:911259.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant social, communication, and behavioral impairments. The gut microbiota is increasingly considered a promising therapeutic target in ASD. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has recently been shown to modulate the gut microbiota. We hypothesized that FXR agonist GW4064 could ameliorate behavioral deficits in an animal model for autism: BTBR T(+)Itpr3(tf)/J (BTBR) mouse. As expected, administration of GW4064 rescued the sociability of BTBR mice in the three-chamber sociability test and male-female social reciprocal interaction test, while no effects were observed in C57BL/6J mice. We also found that GW4064 administration increased fecal microbial abundance and counteracted the common ASD phenotype of a high Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in BTBR mice. In addition, GW4064 administration reversed elevated Lactobacillus and decreased Allobaculum content in the fecal matter of BTBR animals. Our findings show that GW4064 administration alleviates social deficits in BTBR mice and modulates selective aspects of the composition of the gut microbiota, suggesting that GW4064 supplementation might prove a potential strategy for improving ASD symptoms.

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20. Krgovic D, Gorenjak M, Rihar N, Opalic I, Stangler Herodez S, Gregoric Kumperscak H, Dovc P, Kokalj Vokac N. Impaired Neurodevelopmental Genes in Slovenian Autistic Children Elucidate the Comorbidity of Autism With Other Developmental Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci;2022;15:912671.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a phenotypically heterogeneous group of patients that strongly intertwine with other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with genetics playing a significant role in their etiology. Whole exome sequencing (WES) has become predominant in molecular diagnostics for ASD by considerably increasing the diagnostic yield. However, the proportion of undiagnosed patients still remains high due to complex clinical presentation, reduced penetrance, and lack of segregation analysis or clinical information. Thus, reverse phenotyping, where we first identified a possible genetic cause and then determine its clinical relevance, has been shown to be a more efficient approach. WES was performed on 147 Slovenian pediatric patients with suspected ASD. Data analysis was focused on identifying ultrarare or « single event » variants in ASD-associated genes and further expanded to NDD-associated genes. Protein function and gene prioritization were performed on detected clinically relevant variants to determine their role in ASD etiology and phenotype. Reverse phenotyping revealed a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in ASD-associated genes in 20.4% of patients, with subsequent segregation analysis indicating that 14 were de novo variants and 1 was presumed compound heterozygous. The diagnostic yield was further increased by 2.7% by the analysis of ultrarare or « single event » variants in all NDD-associated genes. Protein function analysis established that genes in which variants of unknown significance (VUS) were detected were predominantly the cause of intellectual disability (ID), and in most cases, features of ASD as well. Using such an approach, variants in rarely described ASD-associated genes, such as SIN3B, NR4A2, and GRIA1, were detected. By expanding the analysis to include functionally similar NDD genes, variants in KCNK9, GNE, and other genes were identified. These would probably have been missed by classic genotype-phenotype analysis. Our study thus demonstrates that in patients with ASD, analysis of ultrarare or « single event » variants obtained using WES with the inclusion of functionally similar genes and reverse phenotyping obtained a higher diagnostic yield despite limited clinical data. The present study also demonstrates that most of the causative genes in our cohort were involved in the syndromic form of ASD and confirms their comorbidity with other developmental disorders.

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21. Buffle P, Gentaz E, Vivanti G. Perception, Beliefs, and Causal Attribution of Autism Early Signs in Ecuadorian General Population. Front Psychol;2022;13:915817.

The identification and diagnosis of children with autism currently rely on behavioral presentation and developmental history. Cultural norms and other socio-demographic factors can influence what is expected or non-expected behaviors in a developing child. Perceptions, beliefs, and causal attribution of early signs can influence families’ help-search behaviors. Lack of recognition of autism’s first manifestations can critically delay the age of diagnosis, the provision of informed guidance to families, and the implementation of adapted interventions during the critical period of early development. Furthermore, a lack of understanding of early signs as the manifestations of a developmental condition may increase stigma and non-conventional explanations. Still, cultural and socio-demographic factors are largely understudied, particularly in low-and middle-income settings. Based on the hypothesis that non-specialists such as family members and friends are one of the first sources of referral in Latin American contexts, we aimed to study the general population’s perceptions and the explanatory causes of autism’s early signs. One-hundred-and-eighty-three Ecuadorian adults responded to a questionnaire developed for this study, describing sixteen ASD-related behaviors. Results indicated that, with the exemption of language impairment and self-injurious behaviors, a substantial proportion of participants did not endorse many behaviors as « concerning and requiring professional attention. » Also, language impairment was the only behavior identified as related to a developmental disorder. Additionally, most participants attributed the majority of behaviors listed in the questionnaire to causes unrelated to ASD, such as child personality. We discuss the impact of those findings in clinical practice and on awareness programs.

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22. Doi M, Li M, Usui N, Shimada S. Genomic Strategies for Understanding the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci;2022;15:930941.

Recent breakthroughs in sequencing technology and technological developments have made it easier to analyze the entire human genome than ever before. In addition to disease-specific genetic mutations and chromosomal aberrations, epigenetic alterations in individuals can also be analyzed using genomics. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. More than a thousand genes associated with ASD have been identified which are known to be involved in brain development. However, it is difficult to decode the roles of ASD-associated genes without in vitro and in vivo validations, particularly in the process of brain development. In this review, we discuss genomic strategies for understanding the pathological mechanisms underlying ASD. For this purpose, we discuss ASD-associated genes and their functions, as well as analytical strategies and their strengths and weaknesses in cellular and animal models from a basic research perspective.

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23. Alqaysi ME, Albahri AS, Hamid RA. Diagnosis-Based Hybridization of Multimedical Tests and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Techniques: A Systematic Review. Int J Telemed Appl;2022;2022:3551528.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobehavioral condition that begins in childhood and continues throughout life, affecting communication and verbal and behavioral skills. It is challenging to discover autism in the early stages of life, which prompted researchers to intensify efforts to reach the best solutions to treat this challenge by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and machine learning (ML) algorithms, which played an essential role in greatly assisting the medical and healthcare staff and trying to obtain the highest predictive results for autism spectrum disorder. This study is aimed at systematically reviewing the literature related to the criteria, including multimedical tests and sociodemographic characteristics in AI techniques and ML contributions. Accordingly, this study checked the Web of Science (WoS), Science Direct (SD), IEEE Xplore digital library, and Scopus databases. A set of 944 articles from 2017 to 2021 is collected to reveal a clear picture and better understand all the academic literature through a definitive collection of 40 articles based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected articles were divided based on similarity, objective, and aim evidence across studies. They are divided into two main categories: the first category is « diagnosis of ASD based on questionnaires and sociodemographic features » (n = 39). This category contains a subsection that consists of three categories: (a) early diagnosis of ASD towards analysis, (b) diagnosis of ASD towards prediction, and (c) diagnosis of ASD based on resampling techniques. The second category consists of « diagnosis ASD based on medical and family characteristic features » (n = 1). This multidisciplinary systematic review revealed the taxonomy, motivations, recommendations, and challenges of diagnosis ASD research in utilizing AI techniques and ML algorithms that need synergistic attention. Thus, this systematic review performs a comprehensive science mapping analysis and identifies the open issues that help accomplish the recommended solution of diagnosis ASD research. Finally, this study critically reviews the literature and attempts to address the diagnosis ASD research gaps in knowledge and highlights the available ASD datasets, AI techniques and ML algorithms, and the feature selection methods that have been collected from the final set of articles.

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24. 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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25. Irish JEN. An Exploratory Study Testing Environmental Wayfinding Aids as an Intervention for Children With Autism. HERD;2022 (Jul 12):19375867221111467.

PURPOSE: This exploratory mixed methods experiment aimed to determine whether the application of wayfinding aids (colored doors, shapes on the floor, and signage) as an intervention could help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) find their way to a destination to promote independence. BACKGROUND: Several individuals with ASD have described the difficulties they experienced finding their way in the environment. This is especially relevant to complex environments like healthcare. METHODS: Participants with ASD aged 8-11 (n = 9) were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups. The test location was an empty school corridor unfamiliar to participants. Each participant was shown the way to a destination using a script pointing out existing cues (control group) or applied wayfinding aids (treatment group). Participants were taken back to the start and then asked to lead the way to the destination. Afterward, they were interviewed about their experience. Data collection included observation, behavioral mapping, and video recording. RESULTS: The variable of wayfinding scripts helped all participants find their way to the destination, but those in the treatment group found their way directly compared to 75% of the control group. Wayfinding aids made the environment more memorable to those in the treatment group. Some children were distracted by environmental stimuli, and some noticed surprising elements that helped them wayfind. CONCLUSIONS: Study results suggest that wayfinding instruction could be used as an intervention in environments with and without the application of wayfinding aids. This needs further testing in other environments. Issues included recruitment and random assignment.

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26. 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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