1. Bons D, van den Broek E, Scheepers F, Herpers P, Rommelse N, Buitelaar JK. {{Erratum to: Motor, Emotional, and Cognitive Empathy in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Conduct Disorder}}. {J Abnorm Child Psychol};2013 (Jan 18)
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2. Curtin S, Vouloumanos A. {{Speech Preference is Associated with Autistic-Like Behavior in 18-Months-Olds at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2013 (Jan 19)
We examined whether infants’ preference for speech at 12 months is associated with autistic-like behaviors at 18 months in infants who are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because they have an older sibling diagnosed with ASD and in low-risk infants. Only low-risk infants listened significantly longer to speech than to nonspeech at 12 months. In both groups, relative preference for speech correlated positively with general cognitive ability at 12 months. However, in high-risk infants only, preference for speech was associated with autistic-like behavior at 18 months, while in low-risk infants, preference for speech correlated with language abilities. This suggests that in children at risk for ASD an atypical species-specific bias for speech may underlie atypical social development.
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3. Jordan K, King M, Hellersteth S, Wiren A, Mulligan H. {{Feasibility of using a humanoid robot for enhancing attention and social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Int J Rehabil Res};2013 (Jan 15)
This study investigated the use of robotic technology for promoting attention, communication and social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Attention, communication and social skills were measured while participants played a memory card matching game (Face Match) using (a) a humanoid robot, (b) a Smart Board and (c) playing cards. Three participants with ASD and three with other cognitive impairments were recruited from a secondary school with a special needs unit. Participants were paired such that one of each pair had a diagnosis of ASD and Face Match was played in these pairs for approximately 15 min, with a game organizer present. On 3 separate days, video recordings were made as the participants played Face Match; a different game mode (robot, Smart Board, playing cards) was used each day. A system for categorizing attention, communication and social skills was developed that described 16 subcategories of interactions and intra-actions. In general, participants with ASD showed highly individualized patterns of behaviour in the three different modes. However, repetitive behaviour was reduced in participants with ASD when using both the robot and the Smart Board compared with playing cards. We show that it is feasible to use a robot to assist teaching of social skills to adolescents with ASD, but suggest that the robot features could be further explored and utilized.Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte die Anwendung von Robotertechnik als Hilfe fur Jugendliche mit ASD (Autismusspektrum-Storung) bei der Forderung von Aufmerksamkeit, Kommunikation und sozialer Kompetenz. Die Messung von Aufmerksamkeit, Kommunikation und sozialer Kompetenz erfolgte, wahrend die Teilnehmer (a) mit einem menschenahnlichen Roboter, (b) mit einem Smart Board und (c) Spielkarten Memory (Face Match) spielten. Drei Teilnehmer mit ASD und drei mit anderen Einschrankungen der kognitiven Fahigkeiten wurden aus einer weiterfuhrenden Schule mit angegliedertem Schulzweig fur Schuler mit sonderpadagogischem Forderbedarf rekrutiert. Die Teilnehmer wurden paarweise so eingeteilt, dass jeweils ein Jugendlicher pro Paar ASD hatte. Jedes Paar spielte unter Anwesenheit eines Moderators approximately 15 Minuten lang Face Match. Die Teilnehmer wurden an drei verschiedenen Tagen beim Spielen von Face Match per Video aufgezeichnet; dabei anderte sich der Spielemodus (Roboter, Smart Board, Spielekarten) von Tag zu Tag. Dazu wurde ein System fur die Kategorisierung von Aufmerksamkeit, Kommunikation und sozialer Kompetenz mit 16 Unterkategorien mit Interaktionen und Intraaktionen entwickelt. Die Teilnehmer mit ASD wiesen bei den drei Modi generell starker individuell ausgepragte Verhaltensmuster auf. Bei den Teilnehmern mit ASD waren repetitive Verhaltensmuster bei der Verwendung von Roboter und Smart Board im Vergleich zu den Spielekarten reduziert. Mit dieser Studie zeigen wir auf, dass der Einsatz von Robotern bei der Vermittlung von sozialer Kompetenz bei Jugendlichen mit ASD durchaus moglich ist, schlagen gleichzeitig aber eine weitere Analyse und verstarkte Verwendung der Robotermerkmale vor.El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el uso de la tecnologia robotica con el fin de promover la atencion, la comunicacion y las habilidades sociales en adolescentes con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). La atencion, la comunicacion y las habilidades sociales fueron evaluadas mientras los sujetos participaban en un juego de cartas (Face Match) utilizando (a) un robot humanoide; (b) una pizarra interactiva; y (c) un set de cartas. Los participantes fueron tres individuos con TEA y tres con otras discapacidades cognitivas procedentes de una escuela de estudios secundarios que posee una unidad de educacion especial. Los participantes fueron divididos en parejas de modo que uno de los miembros de cada pareja padecia TEA, y las parejas jugaron a Face Match durante approximately 15 min, ante la presencia de un moderador. Se realizaron grabaciones mientras los participantes jugaban a Face Match durante 3 dias no consecutivos, en cada uno de los cuales se utilizo un modo distinto de juego (robot, pizarra interactiva, set de cartas). Se desarrollo un sistema de clasificacion de la atencion, la comunicacion y las habilidades sociales que describia 16 subcategorias de interaccion e intraaccion. En general, los participantes con TEA mostraron conductas de comportamiento altamente individualizadas en los tres modos de juego. Sin embargo, el comportamiento repetitivo se vio disminuido en los participantes con TEA al utilizar tanto el robot como la pizarra interactiva, en comparacion con el set de cartas. Se demostro, por lo tanto, que es posible utilizar un robot en la ensenanza de habilidades sociales a adolescentes con TEA, pero se recalca la necesidad de futuras investigaciones que exploren las funciones del robot para dicha finalidad.Cette etude examinait l’utilisation de la technologie robotique pour promouvoir l’attention, la communication et la sociabilite chez les adolescents atteints de troubles du spectre de l’autisme (TSA). L’attention, la communication et les competences sociales ont ete mesurees pendant que les participants effectuaient un jeu de memoire a base de correspondance de cartes (correspondance de visages) avec (a) un robot humanoide, (b) un circuit electronique Smart Board, et (c) des cartes a jouer. Trois participants atteints de TSA et trois autres souffrant de troubles cognitifs ont ete recrutes dans une ecole secondaire aupres d’une unite specialisee. Les participants ont ete apparies de sorte que chaque paire a recu un diagnostic de TSA, et une partie de carte de correspondance des visages de approximately 15 min a ete jouee dans ces paires, en presence d’un animateur. Des enregistrements video ont ete effectues pendant 3 jours differents, pendant que les participants faisaient des parties de correspondance des visages ; un mode de jeu different (robot, Smart Board, cartes a jouer) a ete utilise chaque jour. Un systeme de categorisation des competences sociales, d’attention et de communication a ete developpe, qui decrit 16 sous-categories d’interactions et d’intra-actions. En general, les participants atteints de TSA ont presente des modeles de comportement hautement individualises dans les trois modes differents. Cependant, le comportement repetitif etait reduit chez les participants atteints de TSA lorsqu’ils utilisaient le robot ou le circuit Smart Board plutot que les cartes a jouer. Nous montrons qu’il est possible d’utiliser un robot pour aider l’enseignement des competences sociales aux adolescents atteints de TSA, mais suggerons que les caracteristiques du robot pourraient etre davantage explorees et utilisees.
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4. Miller G. {{Neuroscience. The promise and perils of oxytocin}}. {Science};2013 (Jan 18);339(6117):267-269.
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5. Oddi D, Crusio WE, D’Amato FR, Pietropaolo S. {{Monogenic mouse models of social dysfunction: Implications for autism}}. {Behav Brain Res};2013 (Jan 14)
Autism is a pervasive disorder characterized by a complex symptomatology, based principally on social dysfunction. The disorder has a highly complex, largely genetic etiology, involving an impressive variety of genes, the precise contributions of which still remain to be determined. For this reason, a reductionist approach to the study of autism has been proposed, employing monogenic animal models of social dysfunction, either by targeting a candidate gene, or by mimicking a single-gene disorder characterized by autistic symptoms. In the present review, we discuss this monogenic approach by comparing examples of each strategy: the mu opioid receptor knock-out (KO) mouse line, which targets the opioid system (known to be involved in the control of social behaviors); and the Fmr1-KO mouse, a model for Fragile X syndrome (a neurodevelopmental syndrome that includes autistic symptoms). The autistic-relevant behavioral phenotypes of the mu-opioid and Fmr1-KO mouse lines are described here, summarizing previous work by our research group and others, but also providing novel experimental evidence. Relevant factors influencing the validity of the two models, such as sex differences and age at testing, are also addressed, permitting an extensive evaluation of the advantages and limits of monogenic mouse models for autism.
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6. Sokhadze EM, Baruth JM, Sears L, Sokhadze GE, El-Baz AS, Williams E, Klapheke R, Casanova MF. {{EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL STUDY OF ATTENTION REGULATION DURING ILLUSORY FIGURE CATEGORIZATION TASK IN ADHD, AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, AND TYPICAL CHILDREN}}. {J Neurother};2012;16(1):12-31.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are very common developmental disorders which share some similar symptoms of social, emotional, and attentional deficits. This study is aimed to help understand the differences and similarities of these deficits using analysis of dense-array event-related potentials (ERP) during an illusory figure recognition task. Although ADHD and ASD seem very distinct, they have been shown to share some similarities in their symptoms. Our hypothesis was that children with ASD will show less pronounced differences in ERP responses to target and non-target stimuli as compared to typical children, and to a lesser extent, ADHD. Participants were children with ASD (N=16), ADHD (N=16), and controls (N=16). EEG was collected using a 128 channel EEG system. The task involved the recognition of a specific illusory shape, in this case a square or triangle, created by three or four inducer disks. There were no between group differences in reaction time (RT) to target stimuli, but both ASD and ADHD committed more errors, specifically the ASD group had statistically higher commission error rate than controls. Post-error RT in ASD group was exhibited in a post-error speeding rather than corrective RT slowing typical for the controls. The ASD group also demonstrated an attenuated error-related negativity (ERN) as compared to ADHD and controls. The fronto-central P200, N200, and P300 were enhanced and less differentiated in response to target and non-target figures in the ASD group. The same ERP components were marked by more prolonged latencies in the ADHD group as compared to both ASD and typical controls. The findings are interpreted according to the « minicolumnar » hypothesis proposing existence of neuropathological differences in ASD and ADHD, specifically minicolumnar number/width morphometry spectrum differences. In autism, a model of local hyperconnectivity and long-range hypoconnectivity explains many of the behavioral and cognitive deficits present in the condition, while the inverse arrangement of local hypoconnectivity and long-range hyperconnectivity in ADHD explains some deficits typical for this disorder. The current ERP study supports the proposed suggestion that some between group differences could be manifested in the frontal ERP indices of executive functions during performance on an illusory figure categorization task.
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7. Yang DY, Baillargeon R. {{Brief Report: Difficulty in Understanding Social Acting (But Not False Beliefs) Mediates the Link Between Autistic Traits and Ingroup Relationships}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2013 (Jan 19)
Why do individuals with more autistic traits experience social difficulties? Here we examined the hypothesis that these difficulties stem in part from a challenge in understanding social acting, the prosocial pretense that adults routinely produce to maintain positive relationships with their ingroup. In Study 1, we developed a self-administered test of social-acting understanding: participants read stories in which a character engaged in social acting and rated the appropriateness of the character’s response. Adults who scored 26 or higher on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire gave significantly lower ratings than comparison participants (AQ < 26). Study 2 found that difficulty in understanding social acting, but not false beliefs, mediated the link between autistic traits and perceived ingroup relationships.
