1. Baudewijns L, Ronsse E, Verstraete V, Sabbe B, Morrens M, Bertelli MO. {{Problem behaviours and Major Depressive Disorder in adults with intellectual disability and autism}}. {Psychiatry Res};2018 (Dec);270:769-774.
The high prevalence of Problem Behaviours (PB) in persons with intellectual disability (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been associated by some researchers to a proportionate frequency of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), which have a different presentation in persons with ID and ASD than in the general population, mostly as behavioural changes. Nevertheless, evidence on this behavioural equivalency is still scarce. The present study aims at evaluating the rate of MDD in persons with ID and ASD presenting PB. Two groups of persons with mild-to-moderate ID and ASD, with and without PB underwent a complex clinical (Diagnostic Manual – Intellectual Disability) and instrumental (Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behaviour; Mini Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with Developmental Disabilities). The prevalence of MDD was found to be significantly higher in the group with PB. The severity of depressive symptoms resulted to have a strong correlation with the scores of instrumental assessment of PB. Our findings support previous literature on a high association between PB and MDD in persons with ID and ASD. The level of the equivalency between specific MDD symptoms and different PB deserves further investigations.
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2. Deste G, Barlati S, Gregorelli M, Lisoni J, Turrina C, Valsecchi P, Vita A. {{Looking through autistic features in schizophrenia using the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS)}}. {Psychiatry Res};2018 (Dec);270:764-768.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia share several features. However, the assessment of ASD in schizophrenia is difficult. Aim of this study is to investigate the possibility to use the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS) to recognize autistic features in schizophrenia. The PAUSS was administered to 75 patients with schizophrenia, previously assessed with ASD diagnostic scales. PAUSS total scores were higher in patients with ASD, compared to those without ASD. Patients with PAUSS score higher than the cut-off proposed for ASD showed specific neuropsychological and functional characteristics. The PAUSS may be useful to identify patients with schizophrenia autistic features.
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3. Greene RK, Walsh E, Mosner MG, Dichter GS. {{A Potential Mechanistic Role for Neuroinflammation in Reward Processing Impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Biol Psychol};2018 (Dec 12)
Accumulating evidence suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be conceptualized within a framework of reward processing impairments. The « Social Motivation Theory of Autism » posits that reduced motivation to interact with people and decreased pleasure derived from social interactions may derail typical social development and contribute to the emergence of core social communication deficits in ASD. Neuroinflammation may disrupt the development of mesolimbic dopaminergic systems that are critical for optimal functioning of social reward processing systems. This neuroinflammation-induced disturbance of mesolimbic dopaminergic functioning has been substantiated using maternal immune activation rodent models whose offspring show aberrant dopaminergic corticostriatal function as well as behavioral characteristics of ASD model systems. Preclinical findings are in turn supported by clinical evidence of increased mesolimbic neuroinflammatory responses in individuals with ASD. This review summarizes evidence for reward processing deficits and neuroinflammatory impairments in ASD and examines how immune inflammatory dysregulation may impair the development of dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry in ASD. Finally, future research directions examining neuroinflammatory effects on reward processing in ASD are proposed.
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4. Karpur A, Lello A, Frazier T, Dixon PJ, Shih AJ. {{Health Disparities among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health 2016}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2018 (Dec 14)
Utilizing the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, this study illustrates that children with ASD have nearly 4 times higher odds of unmet health care needs compared to children without disabilities, whereas children with other disabilities had nearly 2 times higher odds of unmet health care needs compared to children without disabilities. Applying Andersen’s Behavioral Model of health care utilization, this study estimates that enabling factors (e.g., access to health insurance, quality of health insurance, access to family-centered care, family-level stress, exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and parental employment) improved prediction of regression model for unmet health care needs by 150%. Policy and program implications are discussed and a new framework for responding to observed disparities is discussed.
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5. Li C, Wong NK, Sum RKW, Yu CW. {{Preservice Teachers’ Mindfulness and Attitudes Toward Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction}}. {Adapt Phys Activ Q};2018 (Dec 16):1-14.
Teachers’ attitudes toward students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are vital predictors of successful inclusive education. Guided by the basic psychological needs theory, this cross-sectional survey aimed to examine the relationships among mindfulness, basic psychological needs satisfaction (basic psychological needs theory-based construct), and attitudes toward including students with ASD among preservice physical education (PE) teachers. A multisection survey form was administered to 211 preservice PE teachers. Path analysis indicated that mindfulness and basic psychological needs satisfaction positively predicted attitudes toward the inclusion of students with ASD. In addition, mindfulness had an indirect effect on attitudes through basic psychological needs satisfaction. The findings provide a preliminary direction for the development of a mindfulness-based intervention program for enhancing preservice PE teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with ASD. The findings also suggest that the basic psychological needs theory is a useful framework for understanding the relationship between mindfulness and attitudes. Future longitudinal or intervention studies are needed to examine whether the findings can be replicated.
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6. Muller RA, Reiter MA. {{Brain changes in adolescence-it is about time to get serious in autism spectrum disorder research}}. {Autism Res};2018 (Dec 16)
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7. Nordahl-Hansen A, Cicchetti DV, Oien RA. {{A Review Update on Gender Dysphoria and ASD and Response to Corrections}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2018 (Dec 14)
Here we address the earlier published review by Oien et al. (J Autism Dev Disord, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3686-7 , 2018) and the subsequent comments by Zucker and VanderLaan (J Autism Dev Disord, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3748-x , 2018). The current commentary is a response to the corrections put forth by the latter authors where aspects related to diagnostic criteria of Gender Dysphoria and corrections to the existence of a control group were noted. Additionally, to highlight that research on Gender Dysphoria and ASD is becoming a very fast and growing field we also present an update of the original review which show a 13% increase of empirical studies published only in the past few months.
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8. Sadigurschi N, Golan HM. {{Maternal and offspring MTHFR genotypes interact in a mouse model to induce ASD-like behavior}}. {Genes Brain Behav};2018 (Dec 15):e12547.
Individuals with autism constitute a variable population whose members are spread along the autism spectrum. Sub-populations within that spectrum exhibit other conditions, such as anxiety, intellectual disabilities, hyperactivity and epilepsy, with different severities and co-occurrences. Among the genes associated with the increased risk for autism is the methylenetetrahydrofolate-reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T polymorphism, which impairs one-carbon metabolic pathway efficiency. The frequency of the MTHFR677TT homozygote is markedly higher among autism patients and their mothers than in the general population. Here we report on the Mthfr heterozygous knockout mouse as a rodent model of autism that demonstrates the contributions of maternal and offspring genotypes to the development of autistic-like behaviors. Maternal Mthfr-deficiency was associated with developmental delays in morphogenic features and sensory-motor reflexes in offspring. In the adult male mouse, behaviors representing core autism symptoms, such as repetitive behavior and restricted interest, were affected by maternal genotype while social behaviors were affected by both maternal and offspring genotypes. In females and males, behaviors associated with autism such as memory impairment, social aggression and anxiety were affected by both the maternal and offspring Mthfr genotypes, with sex dependent differences. Mthfr-deficient male mice with observable impacts on behavior presented a particular laminar disturbance in parvalbumin interneuron density and innervation in superficial and deep layers of the cingulate cortex. This mouse model of autism will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that predispose a significant subgroup of autistic patients to abnormal development and to distinguish between the in-utero and autonomous factors involved in autism.
