1. Smith CJ, Rozga A, Matthews N, Oberleitner R, Nazneen N, Abowd G. {{Investigating the Accuracy of a Novel Telehealth Diagnostic Approach for Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Psychological assessment}. 2016 May 19.
Research indicates that a substantial amount of time elapses between parents’ first concerns about their child’s development and a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Telehealth presents an opportunity to expedite the diagnostic process. This project compared a novel telehealth diagnostic approach that utilizes clinically guided in-home video recordings to the gold standard in-person diagnostic assessment. Participants included 40 families seeking an ASD evaluation for their child and 11 families of typically developing children. Children were between the ages of 18 months and 6 years 11 months; mean adaptive behavior composite = 75.47 (SD = 15.94). All parent participants spoke English fluently. Families completed the Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment (NODA) for ASD, which was compared to an in-person assessment (IPA). Agreement between the 2 methods, as well as sensitivity, specificity, and interrater reliability, were calculated for the full sample and the subsample of families seeking an ASD evaluation. Diagnostic agreement between NODA and the IPA was 88.2% (kappa = 0.75) in the full sample and 85% (kappa = 0.58) in the subsample. Sensitivity was 84.9% in both, whereas specificity was 94.4% in the full sample and 85.7% in the subsample. Kappa coefficients for interrater reliability indicated 85% to 90% accuracy between raters. NODA utilizes telehealth technology for families to share information with professionals and provides a method to inform clinical judgment for a diagnosis of ASD. Due to the high level of agreement with the IPA in this sample, NODA has potential to improve the efficiency of the diagnostic process for ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record
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2. Simsek S, Cetin I, Cim A, Kaya S. {{Elevated levels of tissue plasminogen activator and E-selectin in male children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research}. 2016 May 19.
Although the etiopathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not clear, immune dysfunction has been proposed as a mechanism for the pathophysiology of ASD. The purpose of this study is to examine serum levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and some adhesion molecules in children with ASD that have not been investigated previously in detail. The study group included 35 male children aged from 2 to 9 diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-V criteria. Soluble platelet endothelial adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1), P-selectin, E-selectin, and t-PA in the serum were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Autism behavior check list (ABC) is used for the assessment of ASD severity. The levels of t-PA (P = 0.025) and E-selectin (P = 0.007) was detected significantly higher in children with ASD than control group. Serum levels of sPECAM-1 showed statistically significant negative correlation with sensory, body and object-use, language, social, and self-help and total scores in the patient group (r = -0.349, P = 0.04; r = -0.411, P = 0.01; r = -0.412, P = 0.01; r = -0.417, P = 0.01, and r = -0.531, P < 0.01, respectively). Serum levels of P-selectin levels showed statistically significant negative correlation with ABC total score in the patient group (r = -0.378, P = 0.03). It may be suggested that t-PA, E-selectin, P-selectin, and sPECAM-1 a crucial role in inflammatory conditions in children with ASD. Autism Res 2016. (c) 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Robinson S, Howlin P, Russell A. {{Personality traits, autobiographical memory and knowledge of self and others: A comparative study in young people with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism : the international journal of research and practice}. 2016 May 19.
The relationship between dissociable components of autobiographical memory (e.g. semantic personality traits and episodic memory retrieval) and other cognitive skills that are proposed to enable one to develop a sense of self (e.g. introspection) have not previously been explored for children with autism spectrum disorder. This study compared autobiographical memory (semantic and episodic) and knowledge of self (internal/external self-knowledge and introspection/mentalising abilities) in children (aged 11-18 years) with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and typically developing controls (total N = 48). Novel and standard tasks were employed. Compared to typically developing controls, young people with autism spectrum disorder had autobiographical memory difficulties that were characterised by a reduction in the retrieval of semantic personality traits, with more initial prompts required to facilitate episodic memory retrieval and fewer episodic memories containing emotional and sensory information. Knowledge of the self and others was also impaired, with reduced introspection and poorer mentalising abilities. Young people with autism spectrum disorder were also identified as presenting with an atypical relationship between autobiographical memory and self-knowledge, which was significantly different from typically developing controls. Test performance is discussed in relation to the functions of autobiographical memory, with consideration of how these cognitive difficulties may contribute to clinical practices and the social and behavioural characteristics of autism spectrum disorder.
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4. Pickard KE, Kilgore AN, Ingersoll BR. {{Using Community Partnerships to Better Understand the Barriers to Using an Evidence-Based, Parent-Mediated Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Medicaid System}}. {American journal of community psychology}. 2016 May 19.
Service use disparities have been noted to impede under-resourced families’ ability to access high-quality services for their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These disparities are particularly relevant for parent-mediated interventions and may suggest a lack of fit between these interventions and the needs of under-resourced community settings. This study used Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations theory to guide community partnerships aimed at understanding the perceived compatibility, complexity, and relative advantage of using an evidence-based, parent-mediated intervention (Project ImPACT) within a Medicaid system. Three focus groups were conducted with 16 Medicaid-eligible parents, and three focus groups were conducted with 16 ASD providers operating within a Medicaid system. Across all groups, parents and providers reported general interest in using Project ImPACT. However, primary themes emerged regarding the need to (a) reduce the complexity of written materials; (b) allow for a more flexible program delivery; (c) ensure a strong parent-therapist alliance; (d) involve the extended family; and (e) help families practice the intervention within their preexisting routines. Results are discussed as they relate to the design and fit of evidence-based, parent-mediated interventions for under-resourced community settings.
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5. Maisel ME, Stephenson KG, South M, Rodgers J, Freeston MH, Gaigg SB. {{Modeling the Cognitive Mechanisms Linking Autism Symptoms and Anxiety in Adults}}. {Journal of abnormal psychology}. 2016 May 19.
Emotional acceptance, alexithymia, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) contribute to anxiety disorders in neurotypical populations. Their association with anxiety in people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been studied. We aimed to model the contributions of these constructs on the relationship between dimensional measures of autism and anxiety. Participants were 151 adults recruited from 2 sites, including those diagnosed with ASD (n = 76) and a matched comparison group (n = 75). All participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring core autism symptoms, anxiety, emotional acceptance, alexithymia, and intolerance of uncertainty. Structural equation modeling with mediation was used to examine directional relationships among these variables. Autism symptoms directly predicted less emotional acceptance and increased alexithymia and IU. Alexithymia and acceptance were shown to explain 64% of the effect between autism symptom severity and anxiety level. This suggests that people with ASD experience increased levels of anxiety because they are more likely to react aversively to their emotional experiences, while lacking the ability to identify and understand their emotions. Developing and implementing mindfulness-based interventions aimed at assuaging alexithymia and IU, while increasing emotional acceptance, may be especially helpful in treating anxiety in ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record
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6. Mahmuda NA, Yokoyama S, Huang JJ, Liu L, Munesue T, Nakatani H, Hayashi K, Yagi K, Yamagishi M, Higashida H. {{A Study of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the SLC19A1/RFC1 Gene in Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {International journal of molecular sciences}. 2016;17(5).
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with complex genetic etiology. Recent studies have indicated that children with ASD may have altered folate or methionine metabolism, suggesting that the folate-methionine cycle may play a key role in the etiology of ASD. SLC19A1, also referred to as reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1), is a member of the solute carrier group of transporters and is one of the key enzymes in the folate metabolism pathway. Findings from multiple genomic screens suggest the presence of an autism susceptibility locus on chromosome 21q22.3, which includes SLC19A1. Therefore, we performed a case-control study in a Japanese population. In this study, DNA samples obtained from 147 ASD patients at the Kanazawa University Hospital in Japan and 150 unrelated healthy Japanese volunteers were examined by the sequence-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction method pooled with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. p < 0.05 was considered to represent a statistically significant outcome. Of 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) examined, a significant p-value was obtained for AA genotype of one SNP (rs1023159, OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.16-0.91, p = 0.0394; Fisher's exact test). Despite some conflicting results, our findings supported a role for the polymorphism rs1023159 of the SLC19A1 gene, alone or in combination, as a risk factor for ASD. However, the findings were not consistent after multiple testing corrections. In conclusion, although our results supported a role of the SLC19A1 gene in the etiology of ASD, it was not a significant risk factor for the ASD samples analyzed in this study. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Long Z, Duan X, Mantini D, Chen H. {{Alteration of functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorder: effect of age and anatomical distance}}. {Scientific reports}. 2016;6:26527.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with disruption of local- and long-range functional connectivity (FC). The direction of those changes in FC (increase or decrease), however, is inconsistent across studies. Further, age-dependent changes of distance-specific FC in ASD remain unclear. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from sixty-four typical controls (TC) and sixty-four patients with ASD, whom we further classified into child (<11 years), adolescent (11-18 years) and adult cohorts (>18 years). Functional connectivity (FC) analysis was conducted at voxel level. We employed a three-way analysis of covariance on FC to conduct statistical analyses. Results revealed that patients with ASD had lower FC than TC in cerebellum, fusiform gyrus, inferior occipital gyrus and posterior inferior temporal gyrus. Significant diagnosis-by-distance interaction was observed in ASD patients with reduced short-range and long-range FC in posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex. Importantly, we found significant diagnosis-by-age-by-distance interaction in orbitofrontal cortex with short-range FC being lower in autistic children, but -to a less extent- higher in autistic adults. Our findings suggest a major role of connection length in development changes of FC in ASD. We hope our study will facilitate deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
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8. Lin IF, Agus TR, Suied C, Pressnitzer D, Yamada T, Komine Y, Kato N, Kashino M. {{Fast response to human voices in autism}}. {Scientific reports}. 2016;6:26336.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are reported to allocate less spontaneous attention to voices. Here, we investigated how vocal sounds are processed in ASD adults, when those sounds are attended. Participants were asked to react as fast as possible to target stimuli (either voices or strings) while ignoring distracting stimuli. Response times (RTs) were measured. Results showed that, similar to neurotypical (NT) adults, ASD adults were faster to recognize voices compared to strings. Surprisingly, ASD adults had even shorter RTs for voices than the NT adults, suggesting a faster voice recognition process. To investigate the acoustic underpinnings of this effect, we created auditory chimeras that retained only the temporal or the spectral features of voices. For the NT group, no RT advantage was found for the chimeras compared to strings: both sets of features had to be present to observe an RT advantage. However, for the ASD group, shorter RTs were observed for both chimeras. These observations indicate that the previously observed attentional deficit to voices in ASD individuals could be due to a failure to combine acoustic features, even though such features may be well represented at a sensory level.
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9. Heys M, Alexander A, Medeiros E, Tumbahangphe KM, Gibbons F, Shrestha R, Manandhar M, Wickenden M, Shrestha M, Costello A, Manandhar D, Pellicano E. {{Understanding parents’ and professionals’ knowledge and awareness of autism in Nepal}}. {Autism : the international journal of research and practice}. 2016 May 19.
Autism is a global phenomenon. Yet, there is a dearth of knowledge of how it is understood and its impact in low-income countries. We examined parents’ and professionals’ understanding of autism in one low-income country, Nepal. We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with parents of autistic and non-autistic children and education and health professionals from urban and rural settings (n = 106), asking questions about typical and atypical development and presenting vignettes of children to prompt discussion. Overall, parents of typically developing children and professionals had little explicit awareness of autism. They did, however, use some distinctive terms to describe children with autism from children with other developmental conditions. Furthermore, most participants felt that environmental factors, including in-utero stressors and birth complications, parenting style and home or school environment were key causes of atypical child development and further called for greater efforts to raise awareness and build community capacity to address autism. This is the first study to show the striking lack of awareness of autism by parents and professionals alike. These results have important implications for future work in Nepal aiming both to estimate the prevalence of autism and to enhance support available for autistic children and their families.
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10. Gomez-Perez MM, Calero MD, Mata S, Molinero C. {{Discrepancies between direct and indirect measures of interpersonal and neurocognitive skills in autism spectrum disorder children}}. {Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology}. 2016 May 18:1-12.
BACKGROUND: Subjects with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) show persistent deficits in social interaction. In order to explore the scope of their deficits, it is of great interest to compare the different interpersonal skills and executive functions of ASD subjects to those of children with typical development. Assessing these skills usually involves a large variety of informants (parents, teachers, other family members) and of measures, with frequent discrepancies between direct performance measures and indirect measures (third-party report). Different explanations of this mismatch between measures have been addressed in previous studies. OBJECTIVES: We wish to analyze whether there are differences between children with ASD and children with typical development on several direct performance measures of interpersonal and neurocognitive skills and one third-party report on real-life performance of interpersonal skills; we also want to look at whether discrepancies appear between the two types of measurements in the two groups of participants. METHOD: A total of 68 Spanish children between the ages of 7 and 12 years participated; 34 were children with ASD, and 34 showed typical development. All participants were tested for recognition of emotions, solving interpersonal conflicts, and executive function. RESULTS: Significant differences between the two groups were not found on most of the direct performance measures, but they did appear in the report by third parties, in favor of the group with typical development. There was also a significant association between neurocognitive and social variables in the latter group. CONCLUSIONS: There were intergroup differences and discrepancies between the direct performance and indirect measures in children with ASD, and these must be explained. For this reason, future studies could seek to explain the cause of these discrepancies with a greater number of measures for each of the skills.
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11. Bail CA. {{Emotional Feedback and the Viral Spread of Social Media Messages About Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {American journal of public health}. 2016 May 19:e1-e8.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether exchanges of emotional language between health advocacy organizations and social media users predict the spread of posts about autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). METHODS: I created a Facebook application that tracked views of ASD advocacy organizations’ posts between July 19, 2011, and December 18, 2012. I evaluated the association between exchanges of emotional language and viral views of posts, controlling for additional characteristics of posts, the organizations that produced them, the social media users who viewed them, and the broader social environment. RESULTS: Exchanges of emotional language between advocacy organizations and social media users are strongly associated with viral views of posts. CONCLUSIONS: Social media outreach may be more successful if organizations invite emotional dialogue instead of simply conveying information about ASDs. Yet exchanges of angry language may contribute to the viral spread of misinformation, such as the rumor that vaccines cause ASDs. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 19, 2016: e1-e8. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303181).
