1. Alaerts K, Swinnen S, Wenderoth N. {{Sex differences in Autism: A resting-state fMRI investigation of functional brain connectivity in males and females}}. {Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci};2016 (Mar 17)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are far more prevalent in males than in females. Little is known however about the differential neural expression of ASD in males and females.We used a resting-state fMRI-dataset comprising 42 males/ 42 females with ASD and 75 male/ 75 female typical-controls to examine whether autism-related alterations in intrinsic functional connectivity are similar or different in males and females, and particularly whether alterations reflect ‘neural masculinization’, as predicted by the Extreme Male Brain theory.Males and females showed a differential neural expression of ASD, characterized by highly consistent patterns of hypo-connectivity in males with ASD (compared to typical males), and hyper-connectivity in females with ASD (compared to typical females). Interestingly, patterns of hyper-connectivity in females with ASD reflected a shift towards the (high) connectivity levels seen in typical males (neural masculinization), whereas patterns of hypo-connectivity observed in males with ASD reflected a shift towards the (low) typical feminine connectivity patterns (neural feminization).Our data support the notion that ASD is a disorder of sexual differentiation rather than a disorder characterized by masculinization in both genders. Future work is needed to identify underlying factors such as sex hormonal alterations that drive these sex-specific neural expressions of ASD.
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2. Ben-Itzchak E, Abutbul S, Bela H, Shai T, Zachor DA. {{Understanding One’s Own Emotions in Cognitively-Able Preadolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2016 (Mar 19)
There are still no straightforward answers as to whether understanding one’s own emotions is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study evaluated the perception of one’s own different emotions, based on the relevant section of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Module 3 test. Forty boys, aged 8-11 years, 20 diagnosed with ASD (IQ >/= 85) and 20 typically developing children were included. Description of events that elicited specific emotions in ASD was characterized by more ‘odd’ statements and ‘no responses’ and less use of content related to ‘social situations’, ‘interpersonal’ and ‘self-awareness’. More ‘no responses’ and odd statements were associated with the severity of ASD symptoms. Clinicians should be aware of these differentiating factors during the diagnostic process of ASD.
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3. Buckley AW, Holmes GL. {{Epilepsy and Autism}}. {Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med};2016 (Mar 17)
Epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorder frequently coexist in the same individual. Electroencephalogram (EEG) epileptiform activity is also present at a substantially higher rate in children with autism than normally developing children. As with epilepsy, there are a multitude of genetic and environmental factors that can result in autistic spectrum disorder. There is growing consensus from both animal and clinical studies that autism is a disorder of aberrant connectivity. As measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and EEG, the brain in autistic spectrum disorder may be under- or overconnected or have a mixture of over- and underconnectivity. In the case of comorbid epilepsy and autism, an imbalance of the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ratio in selected regions of the brain may drive overconnectivity. Understanding the mechanism by which altered connectivity in individuals with comorbid epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorder results in the behaviors specific to the autistic spectrum disorder remains a challenge.
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4. Davis J, McKone E, Zirnsak M, Moore T, O’Kearney R, Apthorp D, Palermo R. {{Social and attention-to-detail subclusters of autistic traits differentially predict looking at eyes and face identity recognition ability}}. {Br J Psychol};2016 (Mar 14)
This study distinguished between different subclusters of autistic traits in the general population and examined the relationships between these subclusters, looking at the eyes of faces, and the ability to recognize facial identity. Using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) measure in a university-recruited sample, we separate the social aspects of autistic traits (i.e., those related to communication and social interaction; AQ-Social) from the non-social aspects, particularly attention-to-detail (AQ-Attention). We provide the first evidence that these social and non-social aspects are associated differentially with looking at eyes: While AQ-Social showed the commonly assumed tendency towards reduced looking at eyes, AQ-Attention was associated with increased looking at eyes. We also report that higher attention-to-detail (AQ-Attention) was then indirectly related to improved face recognition, mediated by increased number of fixations to the eyes during face learning. Higher levels of socially relevant autistic traits (AQ-Social) trended in the opposite direction towards being related to poorer face recognition (significantly so in females on the Cambridge Face Memory Test). There was no evidence of any mediated relationship between AQ-Social and face recognition via reduced looking at the eyes. These different effects of AQ-Attention and AQ-Social suggest face-processing studies in Autism Spectrum Disorder might similarly benefit from considering symptom subclusters. Additionally, concerning mechanisms of face recognition, our results support the view that more looking at eyes predicts better face memory.
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5. Gangi DN, Messinger DS, Martin ER, Cuccaro ML. {{Dopaminergic variants in siblings at high risk for autism: Associations with initiating joint attention}}. {Autism Res};2016 (Mar 15)
Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; high-risk siblings) exhibit lower levels of initiating joint attention (IJA; sharing an object or experience with a social partner through gaze and/or gesture) than low-risk siblings of children without ASD. However, high-risk siblings also exhibit substantial variability in this domain. The neurotransmitter dopamine is linked to brain areas associated with reward, motivation, and attention, and common dopaminergic variants have been associated with attention difficulties. We examined whether these common dopaminergic variants, DRD4 and DRD2, explain variability in IJA in high-risk (n = 55) and low-risk (n = 38) siblings. IJA was assessed in the first year during a semi-structured interaction with an examiner. DRD4 and DRD2 genotypes were coded according to associated dopaminergic functioning to create a gene score, with higher scores indicating more genotypes associated with less efficient dopaminergic functioning. Higher dopamine gene scores (indicative of less efficient dopaminergic functioning) were associated with lower levels of IJA in the first year for high-risk siblings, while the opposite pattern emerged in low-risk siblings. Findings suggest differential susceptibility-IJA was differentially associated with dopaminergic functioning depending on familial ASD risk. Understanding genes linked to ASD-relevant behaviors in high-risk siblings will aid in early identification of children at greatest risk for difficulties in these behavioral domains, facilitating targeted prevention and intervention. Autism Res 2016. (c) 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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6. Khakzad MR, Salari F, Javanbakht M, Hojati M, Varasteh A, Sankian M, Meshkat M. {{Transforming growth factor beta 1 869T/C and 915G/C polymorphisms and risk of autism spectrum disorders}}. {Rep Biochem Mol Biol};2015 (Apr);3(2):82-88.
BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) has been found to play a crucial role in early central nervous system development. Several studies have illustrated decreased TGF-beta1 levels in sera and brains of autistic children. Two point mutations in the TGF-beta1 signal peptide at 869T/C and 915G/C have been reported to influence TGF-beta1 expression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of TGF-beta1 polymorphisms and their haplotypes with autism. METHODS: This study was performed on 39 autistic patients and 35 age- and sex-matched normal controls in an Iranian population, using the sequence specific primed-polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSP) technique. Patients were divided into mild-to-moderate and severe groups according to the childhood autism rating scale. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for allele, genotype, or haplotype frequencies between the autistics and controls. Only a slight difference was observed in GC25 between the controls and all children with autism. CONCLUSION: Thus, these results indicate that the polymorphisms in TGF-beta1 gene may not play an important role in the development of autism.
7. Kondolot M, Ozmert EN, Asci A, Erkekoglu P, Oztop DB, Gumus H, Kocer-Gumusel B, Yurdakok K. {{Plasma phthalate and bisphenol a levels and oxidant-antioxidant status in autistic children}}. {Environ Toxicol Pharmacol};2016 (Mar 9);43:149-158.
Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine disruting chemicals (EDCs) that are suggested to exert neurotoxic effects. This study aimed to determine plasma phthalates and BPA levels along with oxidant/antioxidant status in autistic children [n=51; including 12 children were diagnosed with « Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)]. Plasma levels of BPA, di (2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) and its main metabolite mono (2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (MEHP); thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and carbonyl groups; erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx1), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and glutathione (GSH) and selenium levels were measured. Plasma BPA levels of children with PDD-NOS were significantly higher than both classic autistic children and controls (n=50). Carbonyl, selenium concentrations and GPx1, SOD and GR activities were higher (p<0.05); CAT activity was markedly lower in study group. BPA exposure might be associated with PDD-NOS. Intracellular imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant status might facilitate its neurotoxicity. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
8. Shireman ML, Lerman DC, Hillman CB. {{Teaching social play skills to adults and children with autism as an approach to building rapport}}. {J Appl Behav Anal};2016 (Mar 15)
Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and no intellectual disabilities were taught to increase the social play skills of children with ASD as part of a vocational training program. Participants included 3 adults, aged 21 to 27 years, and 6 children with ASD. Probes conducted throughout the study evaluated whether play skills training affected a measure of rapport between the adult and child. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of behavioral skills training for teaching the adult participants the appropriate play skills. In addition, the children’s social engagement increased. Finally, rapport probes showed that play skills training increased levels of proximity, our measure of rapport, between the adults and children.
