1. Bal VH, Kim SH, Fok M, Lord C. {{Autism spectrum disorder symptoms from ages 2 to 19 years: Implications for diagnosing adolescents and young adults}}. {Autism Res}. 2018.
This study explored change in social-communicative symptoms in 140 individuals with childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. Trajectories of caregiver-reported social-communicative symptoms were examined for three groups (verbal, delayed speech, minimally verbal) from ages 2 to 19 years. Groups showed comparable levels of social-communicative impairment at 2 years and significant decreases in overall symptom levels across the 17-year period (P < .001). Across three subdomains, main effects of time and language (P < .001) reflected patterns of overall improvement, although children with more impaired language tended to have more caregiver-reported symptoms relative to verbal peers. A significant time-by-language interaction (P < .001) reflected that trajectories of socioemotional reciprocity symptoms differed according to patterns of language development. In contrast, improvements in the nonverbal communication domain were seen across language groups, whereas deficits in the development and maintenance of relationships improved for only verbal children. Verbal adults showed significant reductions in the prevalence of kseveral symptoms exhibited during childhood. Improvements suggest that symptoms indicative of ASD in young children may no longer be diagnostic markers in adolescents and adults. Relative stability of several items suggests that impaired facial expression may be a core ASD symptom that warrants more systematic study across the lifespan. Research investigating the manifestation of ASD in older individuals is needed to foster development of appropriate assessment tools and interventions. Differential relationships to developmental factors within the broader social-communication domain underscores a need to focus on more narrowly defined symptom constructs when exploring links between pathophysiology and observable phenotypes. LAY SUMMARY: In a sample of 140 participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) followed from 2 to 19 years old, this study found that overall social-communicative symptoms improve across childhood and adolescence. However, timing and amount of change varied for different symptom categories and participants with different language abilities. Findings suggest that some older adolescents and adults with ASD may not exhibit the same difficulties observed in young children with ASD. More research is needed to better understand the strengths and needs of young adults with ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
2. Carter Leno V, Tomlinson SB, Chang SA, Naples AJ, McPartland JC. {{Resting-state alpha power is selectively associated with autistic traits reflecting behavioral rigidity}}. {Sci Rep}. 2018; 8(1): 11982.
Previous research suggests that variation in at-rest neural activity correlates with specific domains of the ASD phenotype; however, few studies have linked patterns of brain activity with autistic trait expression in typically developing populations. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) and three domains of the broader autism phenotype (social interest, rigidity, and pragmatic language) in typically developing individuals. High-density scalp EEG was recorded in thirty-seven typically developing adult participants (13 male, aged 18-52 years). The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAP-Q) was used to measure autistic trait expression. Absolute alpha power (8-13 Hz) was extracted from eyes-closed epochs using spectral decomposition techniques. Analyses revealed a specific positive association between scores on the BAP-Q Rigidity subscale and alpha power in the parietal scalp region. No significant associations were found between alpha power and the BAP-Q Aloofness or Pragmatic Language subscales. Furthermore, the association between EEG power and behavioral rigidity was specific to the alpha frequency band. This study demonstrates that specific traits within the broader autism phenotype are associated with dissociable patterns of at-rest neural activity.
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3. Chisholm AK, Anderson VA, Pride NA, Malarbi S, North KN, Payne JM. {{Social Function and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adults with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis}}. {Neuropsychology review}. 2018.
In light of the proliferation of recent research into social function in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a systematic review and meta-analysis is required to synthesise data and place findings within the context of a theoretical framework. This paper reviews findings from research into social function and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adults with NF1 and integrates these findings with the Socio-Cognitive Integration Abilities Model (SOCIAL). It also critically appraises links between social outcomes, internal and external factors moderating social functioning, cognitive domains implicated in social functioning, and underlying neural pathology in NF1. A systematic literature search conducted in MedLine (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and PubMed electronic databases yielded 35 papers that met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Out of these papers, 22 papers provided sufficient data for meta-analysis. Findings from this review and meta-analysis provide evidence that children and adults with NF1 exhibit significantly higher prevalence and severity of social dysfunction and ASD symptomatology. To date, very few studies have examined social cognition in NF1 but results indicate the presence of both perceptual and higher-level impairments in this population. The results of this review also provide support for age, gender, and comorbid ADHD as moderating factors for social outcomes in NF1. Suggestions for future research are offered to further our understanding of the social phenotype in NF1 and to facilitate the development of targeted interventions.
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4. Connery K, Tippett M, Delhey LM, Rose S, Slattery JC, Kahler SG, Hahn J, Kruger U, Cunningham MW, Shimasaki C, Frye RE. {{Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of autoimmune encephalopathy in children with autism}}. {Translational psychiatry}. 2018; 8(1): 148.
The identification of brain-targeted autoantibodies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) raises the possibility of autoimmune encephalopathy (AIE). Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is effective for AIE and for some children with ASD. Here, we present the largest case series of children with ASD treated with IVIG. Through an ASD clinic, we screened 82 children for AIE, 80 of them with ASD. IVIG was recommended for 49 (60%) with 31 (38%) receiving the treatment under our care team. The majority of parents (90%) reported some improvement with 71% reporting improvements in two or more symptoms. In a subset of patients, Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and/or Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) were completed before and during IVIG treatment. Statistically significant improvement occurred in the SRS and ABC. The antidopamine D2L receptor antibody, the anti-tubulin antibody and the ratio of the antidopamine D2L to D1 receptor antibodies were related to changes in the ABC. The Cunningham Panel predicted SRS, ABC, parent-based treatment responses with good accuracy. Adverse effects were common (62%) but mostly limited to the infusion period. Only two (6%) patients discontinued IVIG because of adverse effects. Overall, our open-label case series provides support for the possibility that some children with ASD may benefit from IVIG. Given that adverse effects are not uncommon, IVIG treatment needs to be considered cautiously. We identified immune biomarkers in select IVIG responders but larger cohorts are needed to study immune biomarkers in more detail. Our small open-label exploratory trial provides evidence supporting a neuroimmune subgroup in patients with ASD.
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5. Floris DL, Howells H. {{Atypical structural and functional motor networks in autism}}. {Progress in brain research}. 2018; 238: 207-48.
Structural and functional differences between the two cerebral hemispheres constitute one of the most fundamental aspects of brain organization. It is well established that functions related to language and motor behaviors are more strongly represented in the left hemisphere. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impairments particularly in social communication, language, and a variety of motor-related symptoms, alongside intact or enhanced right hemisphere functions. This pattern of deficits and strengths has given rise to theories, suggesting that the neuropathology of ASD involves atypical hemispheric specialization. Here, we review the literature on atypical hemispheric specialization in the motor domain, which is an understudied field, but one that bears great potential for finding meaningful subgroups within the heterogeneous autism spectrum. It appears that atypical motor lateralization constitutes a candidate neural phenotype of ASD, in being a stable measure across structure, function, and behavior.
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6. Hata T, Kanenishi K, Mori N, AboEllail MAM, Hanaoka U, Koyano K, Kato I, Kusaka T. {{Prediction of postnatal developmental disabilities using the antenatal fetal neurodevelopmental test: KANET assessment}}. {Journal of perinatal medicine}. 2018.
Objective To assess the usefulness of the antenatal fetal neurodevelopmental test for the prediction of postnatal developmental disabilities. Methods Fetal behavior was assessed with Kurjak’s antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET) using four-dimensional ultrasound between 28 and 38 weeks of gestation. A score range of 0-5 was characterized as abnormal, from 6 to 9 was considered borderline, and 10-16 was normal. After birth, follow-up was conducted for at least 2 years in all fetuses. Results There were 337 normal (95.47%) and 16 borderline (4.53%) cases among the 353 cases studied, whereas there was no abnormal case. Five cases with postnatal developmental disabilities (one case of Werdig-Hoffmann disease diagnosed just after delivery, one case of autism spectrum disorder diagnosed at 24 months, one case of Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy diagnosed at 9 months and two cases of developmental disorders diagnosed at age 3 and 18 months) were noted among the 337 normal cases (1.48%), whereas three cases with developmental disabilities (one case of motor development delay diagnosed at 6 months, one case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosed at 18 months and one case of autism spectrum disorder diagnosed at age 30 months) were found among the 16 borderline cases (18.75%). There was a significant difference in the prevalence of postnatal developmental disabilities between the normal and borderline KANET groups (P<0.001). Conclusion Our results suggest that the KANET assessment may be a useful diagnostic modality for the prediction of postnatal developmental disabilities. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Lee CE, Burke MM, Arnold CK, Owen A. {{Comparing differences in support needs as perceived by parents of adult offspring with down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy}}. {J Appl Res Intellect Disabil}. 2018.
BACKGROUND: Parents often face many barriers when taking care of their offspring with disabilities. In childhood, support needs vary with families of children with Down syndrome often reporting less caregiving challenges. However, it is unclear whether support needs vary in adulthood. This study compared parents of adults with Down syndrome (DS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebral palsy (CP) regarding support needs of their offspring with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. METHOD: Data were collected via a national survey in the United States with 189 parents of adults with IDD. RESULTS: Across the quantitative and qualitative analyses, parents of adults with DS (versus CP and ASD) reported significantly greater recreational, natural supports, more formal services and less future planning barriers. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the DS advantage may persist in adulthood regarding support needs. More research is needed to understand different types of support needs.
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8. Levman J, Vasung L, MacDonald P, Rowley S, Stewart N, Lim A, Ewenson B, Galaburda A, Takahashi E. {{Regional Volumetric Abnormalities in Pediatric Autism Revealed by Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging}}. {Int J Dev Neurosci}. 2018.
Autism is a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction, restricted and repetitive behavior. We performed a large-scale retrospective analysis of 1,996 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of the brain from 1,769 autistic and neurologically typically developing patients (aged 0 to 32 years), and extracted regional volumetric measurements distributed across 463 brain regions of each patient. The youngest autistic patients (< 2.5 years) were diagnosed after imaging and identified retrospectively. Our study demonstrates increased corpus callosum volumes among autistic patients in early childhood (0 to 5 years old), followed by a shift towards known decreased volumes in later ages. Results confirm known increases in ventricular volumes among autistic populations and extends those findings to increased volumes of the choroid plexus. Our study also demonstrates distributed volumetric abnormalities among autistic patients that affect a variety of key regional white and grey matter areas of the brain potentially associated with known symptoms of autism. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Rao VS, Mysore AV. {{Continuous Distribution of Autistic Traits in an Indian Sample}}. {Indian journal of pediatrics}. 2018.
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10. Wan G, Kong X, Sun B, Yu S, Tu Y, Park J, Lang C, Koh M, Wei Z, Feng Z, Lin Y, Kong J. {{Applying Eye Tracking to Identify Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Eye tracking (ET) holds potential for the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To overcome the difficulties of working with young children, developing a short and informative paradigm is crucial for ET. We investigated the fixation times of 37 ASD and 37 typically developing (TD) children ages 4-6 watching a 10-second video of a female speaking. ASD children showed significant reductions in fixation time at six areas of interest. Furthermore, discriminant analysis revealed fixation times at the mouth and body could significantly discriminate ASD from TD with a classification accuracy of 85.1%, sensitivity of 86.5%, and specificity of 83.8%. Our study suggests that a short video clip may provide enough information to distinguish ASD from TD children.
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11. Wang Y, Zhao S, Liu X, Zheng Y, Li L, Meng S. {{Oxytocin improves animal behaviors and ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammation in autistic mice}}. {Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie}. 2018; 107: 262-9.
OBJECTIVE: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which significantly impacts the quality of people’s life. Oxytocin is a hormone impacting the social cognition and interpersonal trust. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of oxytocin in autism. METHODS: Autistic mice models were established by valproate. Animal behaviors were assessed by open field test, tail suspension test, marble burying test and three-chamber social interaction test. Oxidative stress was evaluated by the levels or activities of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathion peroxidase, reduced glutathione and reactive oxygen species. Inflammation was assessed by the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6. The number of activated microglia was detected by immunofluorescence with an Iba-1 antibody. RESULTS: Our results showed that oxytocin improved the behaviors of autistic mice, with less anxiety, depression and repetitive behavior, and ameliorated social interaction. Further study showed that the elevated oxidative stress and inflammation in autistic mice were alleviated after treatment of oxytocin. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that oxytocin treatment ameliorates autism in a mouse model, maybe through its modulation on oxidative stress and inflammation. It is indicated that oxytocin may beneficial to autism.
