1. Al-Ayadhi LY, Mostafa GA. {{A lack of association between elevated serum levels of S100B protein and autoimmunity in autistic children}}. {J Neuroinflammation};2012 (Mar 16);9(1):54.
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: S100B is a calcium-binding protein that is produced primarily by astrocytes. Increased serum S100B protein levels reflect neurological damage. Autoimmunity may have a role in the pathogenesis of autism in some patients. Autoantibodies may cross the blood-brain barrier and combine with brain tissue antigens, forming immune complexes and resulting in neurological damage. We are the first to investigate the relationship between serum levels of S100B protein, a marker of neuronal damage, and antiribosomal P protein antibodies in autistic children. METHODS: Serum S100B protein and antiribosomal P antibodies were measured in 64 autistic children in comparison to 46 matched healthy children. RESULTS: Autistic children had significantly higher serum S100B protein levels than healthy controls (P < 0.001). Children with severe autism had significantly higher serum S100B protein than patients with mild to moderate autism (P = 0.01). Increased serum levels of antiribosomal P antibodies were found in 40.6% of autistic children. There were no significant correlations between serum levels of S100B protein and antiribosomal P antibodies (P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: S100B protein levels were elevated in autistic children and significantly correlated to autistic severity. This may indicate the presence of an underlying neuropathological condition in autistic patients. Antiribosomal P antibodies may not be a possible contributing factor to the elevated serum levels of S100B protein in some autistic children. However, further research is warranted to investigate the possible link between serum S100B protein levels and other autoantibodies, which are possible indicators of autoimmunity to central nervous system in autism.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
2. Arciuli J, Paul R. {{Sensitivity to probabilistic orthographic cues to lexical stress in adolescent speakers with autism spectrum disorder and typical peers}}. {Q J Exp Psychol (Hove)};2012 (Jan 10)
Lexical stress refers to the opposition of strong and weak syllables within polysyllabic words and is a core feature of the English prosodic system. There are probabilistic cues to lexical stress present in English orthography. For example, most disyllabic English words ending with the letters « -ure » have first-syllable stress (e.g., « pasture », but note words such as « endure »), whereas most ending with « -ose » have second-syllable stress (e.g., « propose », but note examples such as « glucose »). Adult native speakers of English are sensitive to these probabilities during silent reading. During testing, they tend to assign first-syllable stress when reading a nonword such as « lenture » but second-syllable stress when reading « fostpose » (Arciuli & Cupples, 2006 ). Difficulties with prosody, including problems processing lexical stress, are a notable feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study investigated the ability of adolescents with ASD (13-17 years of age) to show this sensitivity compared with a group of typically developing peers. Results indicated reduced sensitivity to probabilistic cues to lexical stress in the group with ASD. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Duerden EG, Oatley HK, Mak-Fan KM, McGrath PA, Taylor MJ, Szatmari P, Roberts SW. {{Risk Factors Associated with Self-Injurious Behaviors in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Mar 16)
While self-injurious behaviors (SIB) can cause significant morbidity for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), little is known about its associated risk factors. We assessed 7 factors that may influence self-injury in a large cohort of children with ASD: (a) atypical sensory processing; (b) impaired cognitive ability; (c) abnormal functional communication; (d) abnormal social functioning; (e) age; (f) the need for sameness; (g) rituals and compulsions. Half (52.3%, n = 126) of the children (n = 241, aged 2-19 years) demonstrated SIB. Abnormal sensory processing was the strongest single predictor of self-injury followed by sameness, impaired cognitive ability and social functioning. Since atypical sensory processing and sameness have a greater relative impact on SIB, treatment approaches that focus on these factors may be beneficial in reducing self-harm in children with ASD.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
4. Golubchik P, Sever J, Katz N, Shoval G, Weizman A. {{Handshaking as a measure of social responsiveness in patients with autistic spectrum disorder}}. {Compr Psychiatry};2012 (Mar 16)
BACKGROUND: Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties understanding and using nonverbal communication. Handshaking is an expressive gesture that requires adequate skills for social interaction and, because of its highly emotional characteristic for patients with ASD, may reflect their ability for social responsiveness. Unlike eye contact or complex social behavior, this gesture has not been studied in the past. We developed a rating scale intended to evaluate social responsiveness through handshaking, in patients with ASD. METHOD: A group of patients with ASD (n = 20), aged 9 to 18 years, was compared with 2 age-matched groups, one of patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n = 20) and the other is of patients with mild (IQ, 55-70) mental retardation (n = 20). To rate the handshaking behavior, we designed a Handshaking Assessment Scale (HAS) that includes 8 Yes/No items. The predefined cutoff point was a minimum of 4 « Yes » answers. RESULTS: Significantly more patients with ASD (13/20) had abnormal HAS (Yes answers, >/=4) than either in the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder group (1/20; P < .0001) or in the mental retardation group (5/20; P < .025). CONCLUSION: There seems to be a strong association between poor handshaking skills and autistic psychopathology, as compared with the 2 control groups. As was demonstrated by the brief and easy-to-administer HAS assessment tool, it may be advisable to use handshaking more widely as a diagnostic procedure for ASD or include it in larger diagnostic batteries. Large-scale studies are needed to substantiate our observation.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
5. Hocking DR, Kogan CS, Cornish KM. {{Selective spatial processing deficits in an at-risk subgroup of the fragile X premutation}}. {Brain Cogn};2012 (Mar 12);79(1):39-44.
Until a decade ago, it was assumed that males with the fragile X premutation were unaffected by any cognitive phenotype. Here we examined the extent to which CGG repeat toxicity extends to visuospatial functioning in male fragile X premutation carriers who are asymptomatic for a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Thirty-three premutation males aged 20-68years [divided into two groups: 16 low-repeat carriers (CGG55-<100) and 17 high-repeat carriers (CGG>100)] with a family history of fragile X syndrome and 62 non-affected adult males with normal FMR1 alleles were recruited. Subjects underwent neuropsychological tests of visuospatial and visual working memory functioning and visuoperceptual processing. On measures of visuospatial processing, the high-repeat carriers performed significantly worse than the normal allele group when age and IQ were covaried out. With increasing age and only in carriers of a larger (>100 repeats) premutation allele was there a greater decrement in visuospatial working memory functioning. Performance on spatial and perceptual judgement tasks failed to show similar specificity in males within the upper premutation range. We conclude that identification of selective visuospatial impairments in carriers of a larger premutation allele indicates greater CGG repeat toxicity in specific neural regions. Longitudinal follow-up studies will be needed to determine whether subtle decline in visuospatial functioning is associated with the later onset of motor symptoms of FXTAS.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
6. Hurwitz R, Blackmore R, Hazell P, Williams K, Woolfenden S. {{Tricyclic antidepressants for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and adolescents}}. {Cochrane Database Syst Rev};2012;3:CD008372.
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, ranging in severity and characterised by early onset of delay and deviance in the development of social interaction, and verbal and nonverbal communication. ASD is associated with restricted and/or stereotyped interests or behaviours. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) block noradrenaline and serotonin reuptake, increasing the availability of these neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Via their impact on serotonin, TCAs have been used in the treatment of autistic symptoms and comorbidities in individuals with ASD. OBJECTIVES: To determine if treatment with tricyclic antidepressants:1) improves the core features of autism, including restricted social interaction, restricted communication, and stereotypical and repetitive behaviours; 2) improves non-core features such as challenging behaviours; 3) improves comorbid states, such as depression and anxiety; 4) causes adverse effects. SEARCH METHODS: We ran the latest searches for this review on 23 May 2011. We searched: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), 2011 Issue 2, MEDLINE (1948 to May Week 2, 2011), EMBASE (1980 to 2011 Week 2), PsycINFO (1887 to current), CINAHL (1937 to current). We also searched Dissertation Abstracts International via Dissertation Express, and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of any dose, duration and frequency of oral TCAs compared with placebo, in children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD, where at least one standardised outcome measure had been used. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected and appraised the studies for inclusion and risk of bias. All data were continuous. MAIN RESULTS: Three studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Two studies used clomipramine and one used tianeptine. All three trials were small, with between 12 and 32 participants. One of the clomipramine trials involved children and young adults, while the other two trials enrolled only children. Due to heterogeneity in study participant characteristics, the TCA medications investigated and the outcome measures used, we were not able to perform any meta-analysis.In only one of the three studies was there any indication that giving children tianeptine could be effective in the short term. In this study, parents and teachers reported that it reduced irritability, hyperactivity, inadequate eye contact and inappropriate speech, but clinician ratings found no significant impact on these symptoms. There were also significant adverse effects, including increased drowsiness and reduced activity levels in these individuals while being treated with tianeptine. The evidence of the impact of clomipramine in the two studies is contradictory. There was evidence of improvement in autistic symptoms, irritability and obsessive-compulsive disorder type symptoms, but conflicting evidence in relation to hyperactivity across the two studies, and no significant changes found with inappropriate speech. There were also adverse effects reported with the use of clomipramine. Although side effect ratings were not significantly different to placebo, there were significant dropout rates in the clomipramine arm of one study. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians considering the use of TCAs need to be aware of the limited and conflicting evidence of effect and the side effect profile when discussing this treatment option with people who have ASD and their carers. Further research is required before TCAs can be recommended for treatment of individuals with ASD.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Kohls G, Schulte-Ruther M, Nehrkorn B, Muller K, Fink GR, Kamp-Becker I, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Schultz RT, Konrad K. {{Reward System Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci};2012 (Mar 13)
Although it has been suggested, that social deficits of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are related to reward circuitry dysfunction, very little is known about the neural reward mechanisms in ASD. In the current functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we investigated brain activations in response to both social and monetary reward in a group of children with ASD, relative to matched controls. Participants with ASD showed the expected hypoactivation in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry in response to both reward types. In particular, diminished activation in the nucleus accumbens was observed when money, but not when social reward, was at stake, whereas the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex were hypoactivated within the ASD group in response to both rewards. These data indicate that the reward circuitry is compromised in ASD in social as well as in non-social, i.e., monetary conditions, which likely contributes to atypical motivated behaviour. Taken together, with incentives used in this study sample, there is evidence for a general reward dysfunction in ASD. However, more ecologically valid social reward paradigms are needed to fully understand, whether there is any domain specificity to the reward deficit that appears evident in ASD, which would be most consistent with the ASD social phenotype.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
8. Movsas TZ, Paneth N. {{The Effect of Gestational Age on Symptom Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Mar 16)
Between 2006 and 2010, two research-validated instruments, Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) were filled out online by 4,188 mothers of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children, aged 4-21, as part of voluntary parental participation in a large web-based registry. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis (adjusted for child’s sex, ability to verbalize, categorical IQ score, and fetal growth rate) demonstrated significantly higher SCQ and SRS scores for ASD children of both preterm (<37 weeks) and post-term (>42 weeks) gestational age (GA) compared to ASD children of normal GA, thus indicating that both preterm and post-term children manifest increased ASD symptomatology. Normal GA at birth appears to mitigate the severity of autistic social impairment in ASD children.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Niditch LA, Varela RE, Kamps JL, Hill T. {{Exploring the association between cognitive functioning and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders: the role of social understanding and aggression}}. {J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol};2012 (Mar);41(2):127-137.
This study examined relations between anxiety, aggression, social understanding, IQ, and diagnosis in a sample of 231 children (ages 2-9) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs; Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) in a hospital setting. Children were administered tests of IQ, and parents completed measures of remaining variables. ASD diagnosis was associated with level of anxiety, and level of IQ explained this relation. IQ was significantly and positively associated with anxiety. Tests of a developmental model to explain the relation between IQ and anxiety showed that social understanding and aggression mediated the relation for toddlers. For preschool- and early elementary school-aged children, respectively, three-way interactions between IQ, social understanding, and aggression predicted anxiety, and graphs of the interactions suggest that the association between IQ and anxiety is increasingly driven by either aggression or social understanding over the course of childhood.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
10. Sivaratnam CS, Cornish K, Gray KM, Howlin P, Rinehart NJ. {{Brief Report: Assessment of the Social-Emotional Profile in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders using a Novel Comic Strip Task}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Mar 15)
This study investigated whether the novel Comic Strip Task (CST) could be used to detect Theory-of-Mind impairments (ToM) in 4- to 8-year-old children with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Twelve children with either high-functioning autism or Asperger’s Disorder and 12 typically-developing children completed the 21-item measure. The overall CST demonstrated moderate internal consistency but the Belief-understanding subscale was excluded from the test due to poor reliability. As predicted, the ASD group performed significantly more poorly than controls on the overall 2-subscale CST and on the intention-understanding subscale. No group differences were found in emotion-understanding subscale performance. Controlling for age, verbal ability was positively correlated with overall CST performance across groups. CST performance in the ASD group positively correlated with parent-reports of communication difficulties. Despite some limitations with the belief-understanding subscale, the CST has promising psychometric features warranting further development of this measure.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
11. Tostes MH, Teixeira HC, Gattaz WF, Brandao MA, Raposo NR. {{Altered Neurotrophin, Neuropeptide, Cytokines and Nitric Oxide Levels in Autism}}. {Pharmacopsychiatry};2012 (Mar 16)
Modifications in neurotrophins, neuropeptides, cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) levels in autism may represent different biological aspects of the disease. In the present study we investigate simultaneously all these variables as an attempt to clarify their interrelationships in autism.Plasma levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) were determined in children with DSM-IV autistic disorder (n=24) and in age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=24). VIP, NT-3, IFN-gamma and IL-1beta levels were measured by ELISA, TNF-alpha, IL-10, IL-6, IL-4, IL-2 were evaluated by flow cytometry, and NO by Griess reaction.Plasma levels of VIP, IFN-gamma and NO were significantly higher and NT-3 plasma levels were significantly lower in children with autism, compared to the healthy subjects. In children with autism there was a positive correlation between plasma levels of NO and IFN-gamma.Our results indicate the presence of altered levels of neurotrophin and neuropeptide in infantile autism and provide additional evidence that higher levels of IFN-gamma may be associated with increased oxidative stress in autism.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
12. Venkat A, Jauch E, Russell WS, Crist CR, Farrell R. {{Care of the patient with an autism spectrum disorder by the general physician}}. {Postgrad Med J};2012 (Mar 16)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), comprising classic autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified, represent complex neurodevelopmental conditions characterised by impaired social interactions, difficulties with communication and repetitive, stereotyped behaviours. It is estimated that up to 1% of the general population may be affected by an ASD. Whether due to improved diagnostic techniques or a true rise in incidence, the prevalence of patients with ASD is rising, and these individuals are increasingly encountered in a variety of healthcare settings. Care givers of patients with an ASD report frequently that lack of awareness of the complications of these disorders and the method of appropriately assessing these individuals impair the effective delivery of healthcare to this patient population. It is now clear that patients with an ASD, in addition to the defining characteristics of these disorders, can present to the outpatient, emergency department and inpatient settings with a variety of psychiatric, neurological, gastrointestinal, nutritional/metabolic, dental, ophthalmological, cardiovascular, gynaecological, traumatic and musculoskeletal conditions that can require acute intervention. In addition, the common treatments given to patients with an ASD may result in side effects and complications that may require acute intervention. For physicians who encounter patients with an ASD, the combination of impaired social interactions, difficulties with communication and stereotyped behaviours creates an additional barrier to diagnosis and treatment of these individuals. Careful preparation of the examination environment, direct engagement of care givers and the patient and the use of communication techniques and pharmacological adjuncts can aid physicians in treating the patient with an ASD in the outpatient, emergency department and inpatient settings.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
13. Wilson LB, Tregellas JR, Slason E, Pasko BE, Hepburn S, Rojas DC. {{Phonological processing in first-degree relatives of individuals with autism: An fMRI study}}. {Hum Brain Mapp};2012 (Mar 15)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Twin studies have provided heritability estimates as high as 90% for idiopathic ASD. Further evidence for the spectrum’s heritability is provided by the presence of the broad autism phenotype (BAP) in unaffected first-degree relatives. Language ability, specifically phonological processing, is proposed to be a core BAP trait. To date, however, no functional neuroimaging investigations of phonological processing in relatives of individuals with ASD have been undertaken. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in parents of children with ASD utilizing a priming task probing implicit phonological processing. In our condition that placed heavier demands on phonological recoding, parents exhibited greater hemodynamic responses than controls in a network of cortical regions involved in phonological processing. Across conditions, parents exhibited enhanced priming-induced response suppression suggesting compensatory neural processing. A nonword repetition test used in previous studies of relatives was also administered. Correlations between this measure and our functional measures also suggested compensatory processing in parents. Regions exhibiting atypical responses in parents included regions previously implicated in the spectrum’s language impairments and found to exhibit structural abnormalities in a parent study. These results suggest a possible neurobiological substrate of the phonological deficits proposed to be a core BAP trait. However, these results should be considered preliminary. No previous fMRI study has investigated phonological processing in ASD, so replication is required. Furthermore, interpretation of our fMRI results is limited by the fact that the parent group failed to exhibit behavioral evidence of phonological impairments. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
