1. {{Older Adults and Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Introduction and Guide (First edition) Lawson Wenn Older Adults and Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Introduction and Guide (First edition) 208pp pound14.99 Jessica Kingsley Publishers 9781849059619 1849059616 [Formula: see text]}}. {Nurs Stand};2015 (Nov 11);30(11):28.
Written from the perspective of a person who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome later in life and is contemplating the transition to old age, this book offers a fascinating insight into what life is like for adults on the autism spectrum.
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2. Actis-Grosso R, Bossi F, Ricciardelli P. {{Emotion recognition through static faces and moving bodies: a comparison between typically developed adults and individuals with high level of autistic traits}}. {Front Psychol};2015;6:1570.
We investigated whether the type of stimulus (pictures of static faces vs. body motion) contributes differently to the recognition of emotions. The performance (accuracy and response times) of 25 Low Autistic Traits (LAT group) young adults (21 males) and 20 young adults (16 males) with either High Autistic Traits or with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HAT group) was compared in the recognition of four emotions (Happiness, Anger, Fear, and Sadness) either shown in static faces or conveyed by moving body patch-light displays (PLDs). Overall, HAT individuals were as accurate as LAT ones in perceiving emotions both with faces and with PLDs. Moreover, they correctly described non-emotional actions depicted by PLDs, indicating that they perceived the motion conveyed by the PLDs per se. For LAT participants, happiness proved to be the easiest emotion to be recognized: in line with previous studies we found a happy face advantage for faces, which for the first time was also found for bodies (happy body advantage). Furthermore, LAT participants recognized sadness better by static faces and fear by PLDs. This advantage for motion kinematics in the recognition of fear was not present in HAT participants, suggesting that (i) emotion recognition is not generally impaired in HAT individuals, (ii) the cues exploited for emotion recognition by LAT and HAT groups are not always the same. These findings are discussed against the background of emotional processing in typically and atypically developed individuals.
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3. Bahmani M, Sarrafchi A, Shirzad H, Rafieian-Kopaei M. {{Autism: Pathophysiology and promising herbal remedies}}. {Curr Pharm Des};2015 (Nov 12)
Autism is a comprehensive growth abnormality in which social skills, language, communication, and behavioral skills are developed with delay and as diversionary. The reasons for autism are unclear, but various theories of genetics, immunity, biological, and psychosocial factors have been proffered. In fact, autism is a complex disorder with distinct causes that usually co-occur. Although no medicine has been recognized to treat this disorder, pharmacological treatments can be effective in reducing its signs, such as self-mutilation, aggression, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, inattention, hyperactivity, and sleeping disorders. Recently, complementary and alternative approaches have been considered to treat autism. Ginkgo biloba is one of the most effective plants with an old history of applications in neuropsychological disorders which recently is used for autism. The present review discusses the recent findings, pathophysiology, and etiology of autism and thereafter addresses the promising results of herbal remedies.
4. Delahunty C. {{Developmental delays and autism: Screening and surveillance}}. {Cleve Clin J Med};2015 (Nov);82(11 Suppl 1):S29-32.
Screening and surveillance are crucial components to the early detection of developmental disorders in children, which enables early interventions that provide the best chances for improved outcomes. Identifying a developmental disorder is the initial step in evaluating the disorder. Surveillance is a flexible, continuous, longitudinal process aimed at identifying concerns, and it should be performed at every well-child visit. Screening involves administering a brief, standardized tool normalized for specific ages and stages of development to identify any developmental delays or specific concerns such as autism. Screening is recommended at every office visit and whenever a parent expresses a concern. Two general types of screening tests are available: problem-specific screening and broadband developmental screening. For each type, there are multiple different tests available that can be administered by a parent or a health care provider. Factors to consider in the test selection are the age range for which it is intended, time it takes to complete and score, cost, whether the test is paper-based or electronic, and the language availability.
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5. Garg P, Lillystone D, Dossetor D, Wilkinson H, Kefford C, Eastwood J, Liaw ST. {{A Framework for Developing a Curriculum Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorders for Primary Care Providers}}. {J Clin Diagn Res};2015 (Oct);9(10):SC01-06.
INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has increased and varies across age groups. Thus there is an increasing need for educational opportunities for General Practitioners (GPs) and other Primary Care providers to help in early identification and referral to specialist services. An earlier survey of GPs in New South Wales (Australia) demonstrated two broad domains for educational activities: (1) a general knowledge (important for early identification and referral) and (2) surveillance (important for ongoing management). AIM: To seek further evidence to these domains and synthesize the important contents for educational programs for GPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a (1) Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on our original survey data and (2) systematic review of the literature to identify important educational topics, using a life cycle approach. RESULTS: CFA and literature review support theoretical framework of two domains. Alerts and red flags for ASDs, knowledge of simple surveillance tools, communication of diagnosis with parents, referral pathways particularly to speech pathologists before a formal diagnosis is confirmed, and appreciation of vulnerabilities for identifying supports were important in the general knowledge domain, while supporting the families through transition points such as from pre-school to school entry, secondary school and adolescence, role of psychopharmacology such as medications for sleep issues, and for common co-morbidities of anxiety were important in the surveillance dimension. CONCLUSION: GP supervisors and medical and nursing educators can use findings from this paper for developing structured learning activities for training primary health care workforce regarding ASD’s.
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6. Gong P, Liu J, Blue PR, Li S, Zhou X. {{Serotonin receptor gene (HTR2A) T102C polymorphism modulates individuals’ perspective taking ability and autistic-like traits}}. {Front Hum Neurosci};2015;9:575.
Previous studies have indicated that empathic traits, such as perspective taking, are associated with the levels of serotonin in the brain and with autism spectrum conditions. Inspired by the finding that the serotonin receptor 2A gene (HTR2A) modulates the availability of serotonin, this study investigated to what extent HTR2A modulates individuals’ perspective taking ability and autistic-like traits. To examine the associations of the functional HTR2A polymorphism T102C (rs6313) with individuals’ perspective taking abilities and autistic-like traits, we differentiated individuals according to this polymorphism and measured empathic and autistic-like traits with Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scale in 523 Chinese people. The results indicated that this polymorphism was significantly associated with the scores on Perspective Taking and Personal Distress subscales of IRI, and Communication subscale of AQ. Individuals with a greater number of the C alleles were less likely to spontaneously adopt the point of view of others, more likely to be anxious when observing the pain endured by others, and more likely to have communication problems. Moreover, the genotype effect on communication problems was mediated by individuals’ perspective taking ability. These findings provide evidence that the HTR2A T102C polymorphism is a predictor of individual differences in empathic and autistic-like traits and highlight the role of the gene in the connection between perspective taking and autistic-like traits.
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7. Hanson EM, Sideridis G, Jackson FI, Porche K, Campe KL, Huntington N. {{Behavior and Sensory Interests Questionnaire: Validation in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disability}}. {Res Dev Disabil};2015 (Nov 12);48:160-175.
Repetitive behaviors, restricted interests and other unusual sensory behaviors often significantly impact the lives of many individuals with developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Identifying specific patterns of atypical behaviors across different disorders allows for improved specificity of diagnoses, monitoring response to treatment and elucidating the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders. The Behavior and Sensory Interests Questionnaire (BSIQ) is a newly designed, continuous dimensional instrument that comprehensively assesses the type, frequency, intensity, age of onset, and duration of these behaviors. The BSIQ takes 15-40min to administer to a caregiver in an interview format. Using a large sample of children with either ASD, intellectual disabilities or who were typically developing, the construct validity of the BSIQ was confirmed using a series of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis models. Configural and metric invariance were satisfied, but not scalar invariance, as expected. The BSIQ showed acceptable internal consistency, excellent inter-rater reliability and excellent test-retest reliability.
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8. Lajonchere CM, Wheeler BY, Valente TW, Kreutzer C, Munson A, Narayanan S, Kazemzadeh A, Cruz R, Martinez I, Schrager SM, Schweitzer L, Chklovski T, Hwang D. {{Strategies for Disseminating Information on Biomedical Research on Autism to Hispanic Parents}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2015 (Nov 12)
Low income Hispanic families experience multiple barriers to accessing evidence-based information on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study utilized a mixed-strategy intervention to create access to information in published bio-medical research articles on ASD by distilling the content into parent-friendly English- and Spanish-language ASD Science Briefs and presenting them to participants using two socially-oriented dissemination methods. There was a main effect for short-term knowledge gains associated with the Science Briefs but no effect for the dissemination method. After 5 months, participants reported utilizing the information learned and 90 % wanted to read more Science Briefs. These preliminary findings highlight the potential benefits of distilling biomedical research articles on ASD into parent-friendly educational products for currently underserved Hispanic parents.
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9. Muszkat M, de Mello CB, Munoz Pde O, Lucci TK, David VF, Siqueira Jde O, Otta E. {{Face Scanning in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Human Versus Dog Face Scanning}}. {Front Psychiatry};2015;6:150.
This study used eye tracking to explore attention allocation to human and dog faces in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and typical development (TD). Significant differences were found among the three groups. TD participants looked longer at the eyes than ASD and ADHD ones, irrespective of the faces presented. In spite of this difference, groups were similar in that they looked more to the eyes than to the mouth areas of interest. The ADHD group gazed longer at the mouth region than the other groups. Furthermore, groups were also similar in that they looked more to the dog than to the human faces. The eye-tracking technology proved to be useful for behavioral investigation in different neurodevelopmental disorders.
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10. Seeberger C. {{Book Review: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Strategies for occupational therapy}}. {Can J Occup Ther};2015 (Nov 12)
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11. Siegel M, Smith KA, Mazefsky C, Gabriels RL, Erickson C, Kaplan D, Morrow EM, Wink L, Santangelo SL. {{The autism inpatient collection: methods and preliminary sample description}}. {Mol Autism};2015;6:61.
BACKGROUND: Individuals severely affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those with intellectual disability, expressive language impairment, and/or self-injurious behavior (SIB), are underrepresented in the ASD literature and extant collections of phenotypic and biological data. An understanding of ASD’s etiology and subtypes can only be as complete as the studied samples are representative. METHODS: The Autism Inpatient Collection (AIC) is a multi-site study enrolling children and adolescents with ASD aged 4-20 years admitted to six specialized inpatient psychiatry units. Enrollment began March, 2014, and continues at a rate of over 400 children annually. Measures characterizing adaptive and cognitive functioning, communication, externalizing behaviors, emotion regulation, psychiatric co-morbidity, self-injurious behavior, parent stress, and parent self-efficacy are collected. ASD diagnosis is confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2 (ADOS-2) and extensive inpatient observation. Biological samples from probands and their biological parents are banked and processed for DNA extraction and creation of lymphoblastoid cell lines. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of eligible subjects were enrolled. The first 147 subjects were an average of 12.6 years old (SD 3.42, range 4-20); 26.5 % female; 74.8 % Caucasian, and 81.6 % non-Hispanic/non-Latino. Mean non-verbal intelligence quotient IQ = 70.9 (SD 29.16, range 30-137) and mean adaptive behavior composite score = 55.6 (SD 12.9, range 27-96). A majority of subjects (52.4 %) were non- or minimally verbal. The average Aberrant Behavior Checklist – Irritability Subscale score was 28.6, well above the typical threshold for clinically concerning externalizing behaviors, and 26.5 % of the sample engaged in SIB. Females had more frequent and severe SIB than males. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data indicate that the AIC has a rich representation of the portion of the autism spectrum that is understudied and underrepresented in extant data collections. More than half of the sample is non- or minimally verbal, over 40 % have intellectual disability, and over one quarter exhibit SIB. The AIC is a substantial new resource for study of the full autism spectrum, which will augment existing data on higher-functioning cohorts and facilitate the identification of genetic subtypes and novel treatment targets. The AIC investigators welcome collaborations with other investigators, and access to the AIC phenotypic data and biosamples may be requested through the Simons Foundation (www.sfari.org).
