1. Esposito G, Venuti P, Apicella F, Muratori F. {{Analysis of unsupported gait in toddlers with autism}}. {Brain Dev} (Aug 12)
Aims: A number of studies have suggested the importance of motor development in autism. Motor development has been considered a possible bio-marker of autism since it does not depend on either social or linguistic development. In this study, using retrospective video analysis we investigated the first unsupported gait in toddlers with autism. Methods: Fifty-five toddlers, belonging to three groups were recruited: toddlers with autistic disorder (AD, n=20, age 14.2mo, sd 1.4mo) and as comparison groups: typically developing toddlers (TD, n=20, age 12.9mo, sd 1.1mo) and toddlers with non-autistic developmental delays of mixed aetiology (DD, n=15, age 13.1mo, sd 0.8mo). The Walking Observation Scale (WOS) and the Positional Pattern for Symmetry during Walking (PPSW) were used to gather data on the first unsupported gait. The WOS includes 11 items that analyze gait through three axes: foot movements; arm movements; general movements while the PPSW analyses static and dynamical symmetry during gait. Results: Our results have identified significant differences in gait patterns among the group of toddlers with AD as opposed to the control groups. Significant differences between AD and the two control groups were found for both WOS (p<.001) and PPSW (p<.001). Conclusion: The specificity of motor disturbances we have identified in autism (postural asymmetry) is consistent with previous findings that implicated cerebellar involvement in the motor symptoms of autism.
2. Kikuchi Y, Senju A, Akechi H, Tojo Y, Osanai H, Hasegawa T. {{Atypical Disengagement from Faces and Its Modulation by the Control of Eye Fixation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 17)
By using the gap overlap task, we investigated disengagement from faces and objects in children (9-17 years old) with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its neurophysiological correlates. In typically developing (TD) children, faces elicited larger gap effect, an index of attentional engagement, and larger saccade-related event-related potentials (ERPs), compared to objects. In children with ASD, by contrast, neither gap effect nor ERPs differ between faces and objects. Follow-up experiments demonstrated that instructed fixation on the eyes induces larger gap effect for faces in children with ASD, whereas instructed fixation on the mouth can disrupt larger gap effect in TD children. These results suggest a critical role of eye fixation on attentional engagement to faces in both groups.
3. Mechling LC, Savidge EJ. {{Using a Personal Digital Assistant to Increase Completion of Novel Tasks and Independent Transitioning by Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 17)
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a Personal Digital Assistant with multiple prompt levels to increase completion of novel task boxes and transitioning within and between tasks. The study used a multiple probe design across three sets of task boxes replicated with three students with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Results indicated that: task completion was higher for two of the students compared to baseline conditions using a picture-based task strip; all students were able to complete a greater number of between task transitions using the PDA; students performed within task transitions equally as well using the PDA and the task strip; and one student began to self-fade use of more intrusive prompt levels.
4. Oi M. {{Do Japanese children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder respond differently to Wh-questions and Yes/No-questions?}}. {Clin Linguist Phon} (Sep);24(9):691-705.
The present study compared 12 Japanese children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD), ranging in age from 7.3-14.8 years, with 12 typically developing (TD) children matched for age, gender, and vocabulary. The means of full-scale IQ and verbal-IQ of the children with HFASD were 95.92 (SD = 15.30) and 98.00 (SD = 18.44), respectively. Children responded to questions from their mothers in conversations collected under a semi-structured setting, and the responses of both groups were examined from the viewpoint of adequacy. Compared to TD children, HFASD children produced more inadequate responses to Wh-questions than to Yes/No questions. To both types of questions, HFASD children produced more inappropriate responses than TD children. The findings suggest that parents of HFASD children should consider the influence of the question format on these children’s response inadequacies.
5. Parr JR, Le Couteur A, Baird G, Rutter M, Pickles A, Fombonne E, Bailey AJ. {{Early Developmental Regression in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from an International Multiplex Sample}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 14)
The characteristics of early developmental regression (EDR) were investigated in individuals with ASD from affected relative pairs recruited to the International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium (IMGSAC). Four hundred and fifty-eight individuals with ASD were recruited from 226 IMGSAC families. Regression before age 36 months occurred in 23.9% of individuals. The observed concordance rate for EDR within sibling pairs (18.9%) was not significantly above the rate expected under independence (13.5%, p = 0.10). The rate of regression in individuals with ASD from multiplex families was similar to that reported in singleton and epidemiological samples. Regression concordance data were not supportive of a separate familial influence on EDR, other than as a part of autism itself.
6. Sheikhani A, Behnam H, Mohammadi MR, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M. {{Detection of Abnormalities for Diagnosing of Children with Autism Disorders Using of Quantitative Electroencephalography Analysis}}. {J Med Syst} (Aug 14)
Quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) has been used as a tool for neurophysiologic diagnostic. We used spectrogram and coherence values for evaluating qEEG in 17 children (13 boys and 4 girls aged between 6 and 11) with autism disorders (ASD) and 11 control children (7 boys and 4 girls with the same age range). Evaluation of qEEG with statistical analysis demonstrated that alpha frequency band (8-13 Hz) had the best distinction level of 96.4% in relaxed eye-opened condition using spectrogram criteria. The ASD group had significant lower spectrogram criteria values in left brain hemisphere, (p < 0.01) at F3 and T3 electrodes and (p < 0.05) at FP1, F7, C3, Cz and T5 electrodes. Coherence values at 171 pairs of EEG electrodes indicated that there are more abnormalities with higher values in the connectivity of temporal lobes with other lobes in gamma frequency band (36-44 Hz).
7. Zaccaria KJ, Lagace DC, Eisch AJ, McCasland JS. {{Resistance to change and vulnerability to stress: Autistic-like features of GAP43 deficient mice}}. {Genes Brain Behav} (Aug 5)
There is an urgent need for animal models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to understand the underlying pathology and facilitate development and testing of new treatments. The synaptic growth-associated protein-43 (GAP43) has recently been identified as an autism candidate gene of interest. Our previous studies show many brain abnormalities in mice lacking one allele for GAP43 (GAP43 (+/-)) that are consistent with the disordered connectivity theory of ASD. Thus, we hypothesized that GAP43 (+/-) mice would demonstrate at least some autistic-like behaviors. We found that GAP43 (+/-) mice, relative to wild-type (+/+) littermates, displayed resistance to change, consistent with one of the diagnostic critera for ASD. GAP43 (+/-) mice also displayed stress-induced behavioral withdrawal and anxiety, as seen in many autistic individuals. In addition, both GAP43 (+/-) mice and (+/+) littermates demonstrated low social approach and lack of preference for social novelty, consistent with another diagnostic criterion for ASD. This low sociability is likely due to the mixed C57BL/6J 129S3/SvImJ background. We conclude that GAP43 deficiency leads to the development of a subset of autistic-like behaviors. Since these behaviors occur in a mouse that displays disordered connectivity, we propose that future anatomical and functional studies in this mouse may help uncover underlying mechanisms for these specific behaviors. Strain-specific low sociability may be advantageous in these studies, creating a more autistic-like environment for study of the GAP43-mediated deficits of resistance to change and vulnerability to stress.
8. Zappella M. {{Autistic regression with and without EEG abnormalities followed by favourable outcome}}. {Brain Dev} (Aug 11)
OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between autistic regression (AR) with and without EEG abnormalities and favourable outcome. Methods: Follow up data on children with favourable outcome in a series of 534 cases aged below 5years and diagnosed as ASD. Results: Cases with regression were 167 (31.8%), usually with persistent ASD, intellectual disabilities and EEG abnormalities. Thirty nine children (7.3%) went off autism and recovered entirely their intellectual and social abilities. Few of them included examples of pharmacologically treated Landau and Kleffner syndrome and other similar complex cases with abnormal EEG. The majority was represented by 36 (6.7%) children, mostly males, with a dysmaturational syndrome: their development was initially normal up to 18months when an autistic regression occurred accompanied by the appearance of motor and vocal tics. Relational therapies were followed by rapid improvement. By 6years all children had lost features of ASD and their I.Q. was in most cases between 90 and 110. Convulsions were absent and EEG was normal in all cases except one. In a few of them recovery was spontaneous. Seventeen children were followed after 5years 6months: 12 (70%) had ADHD, 10 (56%) persistent tics. Tics were often present in parents and relatives, ASD absent, suggesting a genetic background different from cases with persistent ASD. With one exception all « off autism » children had a previous autistic regression. Conclusions: In this series « off autism » children had either early onset epilepsy and/or EEG abnormalities or cases of dysmaturational syndrome. Autistic regression was present in almost all.
