1. An S, Feng X, Dai Y, Bo H, Wang X, Li M, Woo JZ, Liang X, Guo C, Liu CX, Wei L. {{Development and evaluation of a speech-generating AAC mobile app for minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder in Mainland China}}. {Mol Autism}. 2017; 8: 52.
BACKGROUND: Mobile touchscreen devices are currently being used as speech-generating devices (SGDs) and have been shown to promote the communication skills, particularly the requesting skills of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who have limited spoken language. However, no augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) mobile app has been developed and evaluated in the Chinese language in Mainland China. METHODS: We developed an AAC mobile app, which is the first in Mainland China, to our knowledge, named Yuudee (Chinese name (xiaoyudi)). Yuudee was developed using the Objective-C and Java programming languages. A five-phase training protocol for making requests using Yuudee was developed based on the Picture Exchange Communication System. We trained ten minimally verbal children with ASD to make requests using Yuudee and evaluated the effectiveness of the training. RESULTS: Yuudee has a built-in library of over 400 pictures with corresponding spoken phrases that are divided into 39 categories ranging from making simple requests to expressing emotions. An additional important feature of Yuudee is its customization functions that allow a parent or trainer to easily select pictures and phrases to display, create new pictures and phrases, and change the layouts and orders of the pictures to fit the personal needs of each child. Yuudee is freely available in an iOS version from the iTunes App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/xiao-yu-di/id794832934?mt=8) and in an Android version from Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.supersuperstar.yuudee.vue) and domestic Chinese Android App stores. Three consecutive unprompted successful responses, which were defined as an initial training success, were achieved in at least three of the five phases for all ten of the evaluated children. The accuracy rate of a given phase was calculated for each child who achieved three consecutive unprompted successful responses in the phase. Seven children achieved at least 50% accuracy in at least two of the five phases. The other three children achieved at least 50% accuracy in only one phase. Two children achieved at least 50% accuracy in all of the phases in which they were trained. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that Yuudee is a useful tool for helping minimally verbal children with ASD make requests.
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2. Berenguer C, Miranda A, Colomer C, Baixauli I, Rosello B. {{Contribution of Theory of Mind, Executive Functioning, and Pragmatics to Socialization Behaviors of Children with High-Functioning Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Social difficulties are a key aspect of autism, but the intervening factors are still poorly understood. This study had two objectives: to compare the profile of ToM skills, executive functioning (EF), and pragmatic competence (PC) of children with high-functioning autism (HFA) and children with typical development (TD), and analyze their mediator role in social functioning. The participants were 52 children with HFA and 37 children with TD matched on age, intelligence quotient, and expressive vocabulary. Significant differences were found on measures of ToM, both explicit and applied, EF, and PC between children with HFA and TD. Multiple mediation analysis revealed that applied ToM skills and PC mediated the relations between autism symptoms and social functioning. Implications for social cognitive interventions to address these findings are discussed.
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3. Bose-Brill S, Xing J, Barnette DJ, Hanks C. {{Pharmacogenomic testing: aiding in the management of psychotropic therapy for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Pharmgenomics Pers Med}. 2017; 10: 247-52.
Adolescents with autism have higher rates of anxiety than the general adolescent population. They often struggle to express psychological symptoms verbally where their symptoms may manifest as withdrawal and agitation. Adolescent patients with autism have higher rates of polypharmacy and high-risk psychiatric medication use (eg, atypical antipsychotics) than other patients with psychiatric illness. Primary care pediatricians are at the front lines of psychiatric management for patients with autism. Yet, they have inadequate access to pediatric psychiatry for complex medication management. Pharmacogenomic testing can provide personalized drug metabolism profiles for a majority of psychotropic medications. Primary care based pharmacogenomic testing for adolescents with autism on one or more psychiatric medications may help individualize and optimize complex medication regimens, while promoting drug safety.
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4. Dimitrova N, Ozcaliskan S, Adamson LB. {{Correction to: Parents’ Translations of Child Gesture Facilitate Word Learning in Children with Autism, Down Syndrome and Typical Development}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
The original version of the article unfortunately contained mistake in the « Methods/Participants » section (p. 224) as « [M TD = 168.26 (SD = 125.18) vs. M AU = 172.91 (SD = 195.88) vs. M DS = 145.43 (SD = 88.78); Kruskal-Wallis, chi 2(2) = 2.42, p = .30], and for word types [M TD = 28.43 (SD = 26.89) vs. M AU = 39.65 (SD = 49.07) vs. M DS = 18.35 (SD = 22.78); chi 2(2) = 3.15, p = .21] ». The correct text is given below: « [M TD = 51.91 (SD = 59.68) vs. M AU = 74.43 (SD = 116.01) vs. M DS = 25.26 (SD = 39.39); Kruskal-Wallis, chi 2(2) = 3.39, p = .18], and for word types [M TD = 18.48 (SD = 20.51) vs. M AU = 24.74 (SD = 32.98) vs. M DS = 11.22 (SD = 18.87); chi 2(2) = 3.58, p = .17] »..
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5. Frundt O, Schulz R, Schottle D, Cheng B, Thomalla G, Braass H, Ganos C, David N, Peiker I, Engel AK, Baumer T, Munchau A. {{White Matter Microstructure of the Human Mirror Neuron System is Related to Symptom Severity in Adults with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Mirror neuron system (MNS) dysfunctions might underlie deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Diffusion tensor imaging based probabilistic tractography was conducted in 15 adult ASD patients and 13 matched, healthy controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was quantified to assess group differences in tract-related white matter microstructure of both the classical MNS route (mediating « emulation ») and the alternative temporo-frontal route (mediating « mimicry »). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate structure-function relationships between MNS connections and ASD symptom severity. There were no significant group differences in tract-related FA indicating an intact classical MNS in ASD. Direct temporo-frontal connections could not be reconstructed challengeing the concept of multiple routes for imitation. Tract-related FA of right-hemispheric parieto-frontal connections was negatively related to autism symptom severity.
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6. Hajizadeh-Zaker R, Ghajar A, Mesgarpour B, Afarideh M, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. {{l-Carnosine As an Adjunctive Therapy to Risperidone in Children with Autistic Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol}. 2017.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at investigating the efficacy and tolerability of l-carnosine as an add-on to risperidone in the management of children with autism. METHODS: This was a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Seventy drug-free children aged 4-12 years old with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. (DSM-5) who had an Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C) scale irritability subscale score of >/=12, entered the study. The patients were randomly assigned to l-carnosine (800 mg/day in 2 divided doses) or placebo in addition to risperidone titrated up to 2 mg/day (based on body weight) for 10 weeks. The children were assessed by using ABC-C at baseline and weeks 5 and 10 post-baseline. The primary outcome measure was the mean change in the ABC-C irritability subscale score, and other subscale scores were defined as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Using the general linear model repeated measures, no significant effect was observed for time x treatment interaction on the irritability subscale scores. However, significant effect was detected on the hyperactivity/noncompliance subscale [F (1.62, 64.96) = 3.53, p-value = 0.044]. No significant improvements were obtained on the lethargy/social withdrawal, stereotypic behavior, and inappropriate speech subscale scores. Significantly greater score reduction in the hyperactivity/noncompliance subscale occurred in the l-carnosine group compared with the placebo group at the end of the trial. Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale Scores and its changes did not differ between the two groups. The frequency of other side effects was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant difference was detected on the irritability subscale scores, l-carnosine add-on can improve hyperactivity/noncompliance subscales of the ABC-C rating scale in patients with ASD.
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7. He P, Guo C, Wang Z, Chen G, Li N, Zheng X. {{Socioeconomic status and childhood autism: A population-based study in China}}. {Psychiatry Res}. 2017; 259: 27-31.
There is limited evidence on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and autism in developing nations. The aim of this study was to examine this association among children aged 0-17 years in China. We obtained data from the Second National Sample Survey on Disability, and selected 616,940 children for analysis. Autism was ascertained according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. Multiple logistic regressions allowing for weights showed that children in middle-income and high-income families were less likely than their low-income peers to have autism, with an odds ratio of 0.60 (95%CI: 0.39, 0.93) and 0.44 (95%CI: 0.27, 0.72), respectively. Children in middle-education families had 63% (95%CI: 41%, 95%) odds of autism relative to their counterparts in low-education families. Stratified analyses found that all observed associations were only in male children, not in female children. In conclusion, children in families with socioeconomic disadvantage, in the form of lower family income and education, had greater risk of childhood autism.
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8. Jang SM, McKeever BW, McKeever R, Kim JK. {{From Social Media to Mainstream News: The Information Flow of the Vaccine-Autism Controversy in the US, Canada, and the UK}}. {Health Commun}. 2017: 1-8.
Despite increasing warnings about inaccurate information online, little is known about how social media contribute to the widespread diffusion of unverified health information. This study addresses this issue by examining the vaccine-autism controversy. By looking into a large dataset of Twitter, Reddit posts, and online news over 20 months in the US, Canada, and the UK, our time-series analysis shows that Twitter drives news agendas, and Reddit follows news agendas regarding the vaccine-autism debate. Additionally, the results show that both Twitter and Reddit are more likely to discuss the vaccine-autism link compared to online news content.
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9. Kumazaki H, Warren Z, Muramatsu T, Yoshikawa Y, Matsumoto Y, Miyao M, Nakano M, Mizushima S, Wakita Y, Ishiguro H, Mimura M, Minabe Y, Kikuchi M. {{A pilot study for robot appearance preferences among high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Implications for therapeutic use}}. {PLoS One}. 2017; 12(10): e0186581.
Recent rapid technological advances have enabled robots to fulfill a variety of human-like functions, leading researchers to propose the use of such technology for the development and subsequent validation of interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although a variety of robots have been proposed as possible therapeutic tools, the physical appearances of humanoid robots currently used in therapy with these patients are highly varied. Very little is known about how these varied designs are experienced by individuals with ASD. In this study, we systematically evaluated preferences regarding robot appearance in a group of 16 individuals with ASD (ages 10-17). Our data suggest that there may be important differences in preference for different types of robots that vary according to interaction type for individuals with ASD. Specifically, within our pilot sample, children with higher-levels of reported ASD symptomatology reported a preference for specific humanoid robots to those perceived as more mechanical or mascot-like. The findings of this pilot study suggest that preferences and reactions to robotic interactions may vary tremendously across individuals with ASD. Future work should evaluate how such differences may be systematically measured and potentially harnessed to facilitate meaningful interactive and intervention paradigms.
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10. Lee Y, Kim H, Kim JE, Park JY, Choi J, Lee JE, Lee EH, Han PL. {{Excessive D1 Dopamine Receptor Activation in the Dorsal Striatum Promotes Autistic-Like Behaviors}}. {Mol Neurobiol}. 2017.
The dopamine system has been characterized in motor function, goal-directed behaviors, and rewards. Recent studies recognize various dopamine system genes as being associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, how dopamine system dysfunction induces ASD pathophysiology remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that mice with increased dopamine functions in the dorsal striatum via the suppression of dopamine transporter expression in substantia nigra neurons or the optogenetic stimulation of the nigro-striatal circuitry exhibited sociability deficits and repetitive behaviors relevant to ASD pathology in animal models, while these behavioral changes were blocked by a D1 receptor antagonist. Pharmacological activation of D1 dopamine receptors in normal mice or the genetic knockout (KO) of D2 dopamine receptors also produced typical autistic-like behaviors. Moreover, the siRNA-mediated inhibition of D2 dopamine receptors in the dorsal striatum was sufficient to replicate autistic-like phenotypes in D2 KO mice. Intervention of D1 dopamine receptor functions or the signaling pathways-related D1 receptors in D2 KO mice produced anti-autistic effects. Together, our results indicate that increased dopamine function in the dorsal striatum promotes autistic-like behaviors and that the dorsal striatum is the neural correlate of ASD core symptoms.
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11. Montag C, Sindermann C, Melchers M, Jung S, Luo R, Becker B, Xie J, Xu W, Guastella AJ, Kendrick KM. {{A functional polymorphism of the OXTR gene is associated with autistic traits in Caucasian and Asian populations}}. {Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet}. 2017; 174(8): 808-16.
There is increasing evidence for associations between polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and autism spectrum disorder, but to date no study has established links with autistic traits in healthy subjects and potential cultural differences. The present research firstly investigated associations between three widely studied OXTR SNPs and autistic and empathic traits (rs53576 (G/A); rs2254298 (G/A); rs2268498 (T/C)) in two independent studies on male and female Caucasian (n = 537) and Chinese students (n = 280). Autistic and empathic traits were measured in all subjects in the two independent groups using the Autism -Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) respectively, together with their sub-scales. For both sites, genotyping of the OXTR SNPs was conducted on buccal swab samples using a Cobas Z 480 Light Cycler following automated DNA extraction. Associations at the genotype level with autism trait scores were found in Caucasian subjects for rs2268498 only, with TT carriers having the lowest AQ scores compared with those carrying at least one C-allele. This finding was independently replicated in the Chinese sample although a smaller proportion carried the C-allele compared with the Caucasian sample. Some minor associations were found between empathy trait scores and the three SNPs but were not consistent between the samples. These findings show for the first time that the rs2268498 SNP localized in the promoter flanking region of the OXTR gene is associated with autistic traits in different ethnic/cultural groups. This provides further support for the role of the OXTR gene in relation to autism.
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12. Muscatello RA, Corbett BA. {{Comparing the effects of age, pubertal development, and symptom profile on cortisol rhythm in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism Res}. 2017.
Previous studies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have shown elevated evening cortisol; however, few studies have examined diurnal rhythm in adolescents with ASD. Adolescence is a time of significant physical and psychological change, and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may put adolescents with ASD at increased risk for internalizing disorders, such as anxiety and depression. The extent to which cortisol levels are associated with age, puberty and symptom profile was examined in 113 youth (ages 7-17) with ASD and typical development. Salivary samples were collected over 3 days in the home, 4 times per day (waking, 30-min post-waking, afternoon, evening). Results showed youth with ASD had higher evening cortisol and a blunted diurnal slope relative to TD youth. Pubertal development and age were significant predictors of evening cortisol, and adolescents with ASD had higher evening cortisol levels compared to children with ASD. The study extends previous reports of elevated evening cortisol in children with ASD to reveal high levels in adolescence as well. Adolescents with ASD also show a significantly blunted diurnal slope, which may be associated with risk of internalizing symptoms. Findings suggest elevated evening cortisol persists across development in youth with ASD, thus emphasizing a need to identify potential negative effects of excess cortisol exposure on health in ASD individuals. LAY SUMMARY: Elevations in stress hormone, cortisol, during the evening may indicate increased stress from changes throughout the day in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study shows that age and pubertal development are also related to increases in evening cortisol, and this maladaptive elevation in cortisol in ASD is not going away with age. These cortisol elevations may also be associated with other psychological symptoms and warrant further investigation in adolescents with ASD. Autism Res 2017, 0: 000-000. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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13. Naaijen J, Zwiers MP, Amiri H, Williams SC, Durston S, Oranje B, Brandeis D, Boecker-Schlier R, Ruf M, Wolf I, Banaschewski T, Glennon JC, Franke B, Buitelaar JK, Lythgoe DJ. {{Fronto-Striatal Glutamate in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder}}. {Neuropsychopharmacology}. 2017; 42(12): 2466-7.
This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.260.
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14. Napoli E, Russo S, Casula L, Alesi V, Amendola FA, Angioni A, Novelli A, Valeri G, Menghini D, Vicari S. {{Array-CGH Analysis in a Cohort of Phenotypically Well-Characterized Individuals with « Essential » Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2017.
Copy-number variants (CNVs) are associated with susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To detect the presence of CNVs, we conducted an array-comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis in 133 children with « essential » ASD phenotype. Genetic analyses documented that 12 children had causative CNVs (C-CNVs), 29 children had non-causative CNVs (NC-CNVs) and 92 children without CNVs (W-CNVs). Results on clinical evaluation showed no differences in cognitive abilities among the three groups, and a higher number of ASD symptoms and of non-verbal children in the C-CNVs group compared to the W-CNVs and NC-CNVs groups. Our results highlighted the importance of the array-CGH analyses and showed that the presence of specific CNVs may differentiate clinical outputs in children with ASD.
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15. Nardone S, Sams DS, Zito A, Reuveni E, Elliott E. {{Dysregulation of Cortical Neuron DNA Methylation Profile in Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Cereb Cortex}. 2017; 27(12): 5739-54.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome whose etiology includes genetic and environmental components. Since epigenetic marks are sensitive to environmental insult, they may be involved in the development of ASD. Initial brain studies have suggested a dysregulation of epigenetic marks in ASD. However, due to cellular heterogeneity in the brain, these studies have not determined if there is a true change in the neuronal epigenetic signature. Here, we report a genome-wide methylation study on fluorescence-activated cell sorting-sorted neuronal nuclei from the frontal cortex of 16 male ASD and 15 male control subjects. Using the 450 K BeadArray, we identified 58 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that included loci associated to GABAergic system genes, particularly ABAT and GABBR1, and brain-specific MicroRNAs. Selected DMRs were validated by targeted Next Generation Bisulfite Sequencing. Weighted gene correlation network analysis detected 3 co-methylation modules which are significantly correlated to ASD that were enriched for genomic regions underlying neuronal, GABAergic, and immune system genes. Finally, we determined an overlap of the 58 ASD-related DMRs with neurodevelopment associated DMRs. This investigation identifies alterations in the DNA methylation pattern in ASD cortical neurons, providing further evidence that epigenetic alterations in disorder-relevant tissues may be involved in the biology of ASD.
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16. Noel JP, Lytle M, Cascio C, Wallace MT. {{Disrupted integration of exteroceptive and interoceptive signaling in autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism Res}. 2017.
In addition to deficits in social communication, individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently exhibit changes in sensory and multisensory function. Recent evidence has focused on changes in audiovisual temporal processing, and has sought to relate these sensory-based changes to weaknesses in social communication. These changes in audiovisual temporal function manifest as differences in the temporal epoch or « window » within which paired auditory and visual stimuli are integrated or bound, with those with ASD exhibiting expanded audiovisual temporal binding windows (TBWs). However, it is unknown whether this impairment is unique to audiovisual pairings, perhaps because of their relevance for speech processing, or whether it generalizes across pairings in different sensory modalities. In addition to the exteroceptive senses, there has been growing interest in ASD research in interoception (e.g., the monitoring of respiration, heartbeat, hunger, etc.), as these internally directed sensory processes appear to be altered as well in autism. In the current study, we sought to examine both exteroception and interoception in individuals with ASD and a group of typically developing (TD) matched controls, with an emphasis on temporal perception of audiovisual (exteroceptive) and cardiovisual (interoceptive to exteroceptive) cues. Results replicate prior findings showing expanded audiovisual TBWs in ASD in comparison to TD. In addition, strikingly, cardiovisual TBWs were fourfold larger in ASD than in TD, suggesting a putative complete lack of cardiovisual temporal acuity in ASD individuals. Results are discussed in light of recent evidence indicating a reduced tendency to rely on sensory priors in ASD. Autism Res 2017, 0: 000-000. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Studies have shown that individuals with autism have difficulty in separating auditory and visual events in time. People with autism also weight sensory evidence originating from the external world and from their body differently. We measured simultaneity judgments regarding visual and auditory events and between visual and heartbeat events. Results suggest that while individuals with autism show unusual temporal function across the senses in a general manner, this deficit is greater when pairings bridged between the external world and the internal body.
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17. Quezada A, Juarez-Ramirez R, Jimenez S, Noriega AR, Inzunza S, Garza AA. {{Usability Operations on Touch Mobile Devices for Users with Autism}}. {J Med Syst}. 2017; 41(11): 184.
The Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a cognitive disorder that affects the cognitive and motor skills; due that, users cannot perform digital and fine motor tasks. It is necessary to create software applications that adapt to the abilities of these users. In recent years has been an increase in the research of the use of technology to support autistic users to develop their communication skills and to improve learning. However, the applications’ usability for disable users is not assessed objectively as the existing models do not consider interaction operators for disable users. This article focuses on identifying the operations that can easily be performed by autistic users following the metrics of KML-GOMS, TLM and FLM. In addition, users of typical development were included in order to do a comparison between both types of users. The experiment was carried out using four applications designed for autistic users. Participants were subjects divided in two groups: level 1 and level 2 autistic users, and a group of users of typical development. During the experimentation, users performed a use case for each application; the time needed to perform each task was measured. Results show that the easiest operations for autistic users are K (Keystroke), D (Drag), Initial Act (I) and Tapping (T).
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18. Rose S, Bennuri SC, Murray KF, Buie T, Winter H, Frye RE. {{Mitochondrial dysfunction in the gastrointestinal mucosa of children with autism: A blinded case-control study}}. {PLoS One}. 2017; 12(10): e0186377.
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but the pathophysiology is poorly understood. Imbalances in the enteric microbiome have been associated with ASD and can cause GI dysfunction potentially through disruption of mitochondrial function as microbiome metabolites modulate mitochondrial function and mitochondrial dysfunction is highly associated with GI symptoms. In this study, we compared mitochondrial function in rectal and cecum biopsies under the assumption that certain microbiome metabolites, such as butyrate and propionic acid, are more abundant in the cecum as compared to the rectum. Rectal and cecum mucosal biopsies were collected during elective diagnostic colonoscopy. Using a single-blind case-control design, complex I and IV and citrate synthase activities and complex I-V protein quantity from 10 children with ASD, 10 children with Crohn’s disease and 10 neurotypical children with nonspecific GI complaints were measured. The protein for all complexes, except complex II, in the cecum as compared to the rectum was significantly higher in ASD samples as compared to other groups. For both rectal and cecum biopsies, ASD samples demonstrated higher complex I activity, but not complex IV or citrate synthase activity, compared to other groups. Mitochondrial function in the gut mucosa from children with ASD was found to be significantly different than other groups who manifested similar GI symptomatology suggesting a unique pathophysiology for GI symptoms in children with ASD. Abnormalities localized to the cecum suggest a role for imbalances in the microbiome, potentially in the production of butyrate, in children with ASD.
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19. Ross V, Cox DJ, Reeve R, Brown T, Moncrief M, Schmitt R, Gaffney G. {{Measuring the attitudes of novice drivers with autism spectrum disorder as an indication of apprehensive driving: Going beyond basic abilities}}. {Autism}. 2017: 1362361317735959.
For some individuals with autism spectrum disorder, driving apprehension may interfere with the acquisition and application of driving privileges. The Driving Attitude Scale Parent-Report provides an indication of novice drivers’ positive and negative attitudes toward driving. Responses were compared for parents of 66 autism spectrum disorder and 166 neuro-typical novice drivers. After the autism spectrum disorder drivers completed 3 months of driver training, 60 parents repeated the Driving Attitude Scale Parent-Report. Parents reported autism spectrum disorder drivers to have less positive and more negative attitudes toward driving than parents of neuro-typical drivers. Parents of autism spectrum disorder drivers who received driving training in a safe/low-threat virtual reality driving simulator demonstrated a significant increase in positive attitudes and reduction in negative attitudes, compared to parents of autism spectrum disorder drivers undergoing routine driver training. The reports of parents of autism spectrum disorder drivers suggest potential problems with learning to drive that can go beyond general abilities and include driving apprehension.
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20. Takarae Y, Sweeney J. {{Neural Hyperexcitability in Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Brain Sci}. 2017; 7(10).
Despite the progress that has been made in research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the understanding of the biological basis of ASD to identify targets for novel, effective treatment remains limited. One of the leading biological theories of autism is a model of cortical hyperexcitability. While numerous genetic and epigenetic studies support this model, how this particular biological alteration relates to known phenotypes in ASD is not well established. Using examples of sensory processing alterations, this review illustrates how cortical excitability may affect neural processes to result eventually in some core clinical phenotypes in ASD. Applications of the cortical excitability model for translational research and drug development are also discussed.
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21. Wang M, Li K, Zhao D, Li L. {{The association between maternal use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children: a meta-analysis}}. {Mol Autism}. 2017; 8: 51.
Previous reviews have been conducted to evaluate the association between maternal use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children, with no definitive conclusion. We therefore conducted a more comprehensive meta-analysis to reassess the relationship between folic acid and the risk of ASD. The electronic databases PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Wanfang Data were carefully searched to find eligible studies as recent as March 2017. A random effects model was used to combine the relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were conducted. A total of 12 articles with 16 studies comprising 4514 ASD cases were included in this report. It was found that supplementation with folic acid during pregnancy could reduce the risk of ASD [RR = 0.771, 95% CI = 0.641-0.928, I2 = 59.7%, Pheterogeneity = 0.001] as compared to those women without folic acid supplementation. The associations were significant among Asian, European, and American populations. In summary, this comprehensive meta-analysis suggested that maternal use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy could significantly reduce the risk of ASD in children regardless of ethnicity, as compared to those women who did not supplement with folic acid.
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22. Zipper R, Baine SD, Genizi J, Maoz H, Levy NS, Levy AP. {{Developmental progression of intellectual disability, autism, and epilepsy in a child with an IQSEC2 gene mutation}}. {Clin Case Rep}. 2017; 5(10): 1639-43.
The neurodevelopmental progression of a school-aged child with a spontaneous IQSEC2 mutation has demonstrated apparent regression of milestones and language. Seizures associated with the disorder have been refractory to medical treatment. Late treatment of autism in this child has led to improved social skills.
