1. Abdallah MW, Larsen N, Mortensen EL, Atladottir HO, Norgaard-Pedersen B, Bonefeld-Jorgensen EC, Grove J, Hougaard DM. {{Neonatal levels of cytokines and risk of autism spectrum disorders: An exploratory register-based historic birth cohort study utilizing the Danish Newborn Screening Biobank}}. {J Neuroimmunol}. 2012.
The aim of the study was to analyze cytokine profiles in neonatal dried blood samples (n-DBSS) retrieved from The Danish Newborn Screening Biobank of children developing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) later in life and controls. Samples of 359 ASD cases and 741 controls were analyzed using Luminex xMAP technology and clinical data were retrieved from nationwide registers. Findings showed that children developing ASD were more likely to have decreased levels of both T helper-1(Th-1)-like cytokines (i.e. IFN-gamma) and Th-2like cytokines (i.e. IL-4, IL-10) which may suggest a depressed or hypoactive immune cell activity during neonatal period in ASD.
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2. Corsello CM, Akshoomoff N, Stahmer AC. {{Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in 2-year-olds: a study of community practice}}. {J Child Psychol Psychiatry}. 2012.
Background: Longitudinal research studies have demonstrated that experienced clinicians using standardized assessment measures can make a reliable diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children under age 3. Limited data are available regarding the sensitivity and specificity of these measures in community settings. The aims of this study were to determine how well a standardized diagnostic observational measure (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – ADOS) functions alone, and with a brief parent measure within a community setting when administered by community clinicians. Methods: Clinical records for 138 children between the ages of 24 and 36 months of age who were evaluated for possible ASD or social/language concerns at a hospital-based developmental evaluation clinic were examined. Evaluations were conducted by community-based clinical psychologists. Classification results obtained from standardized diagnostic measures were compared with case reviewer diagnosis, by reviewers blind to scores on diagnostic measures, using The Records-based Methodology for ASD Case Definition that was developed by the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program. Results: When compared with case review diagnosis, the ADOS demonstrated strong sensitivity and specificity for both Autism versus Not Autism and ASD versus Nonspectrum (NS) diagnoses in this young sample. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), using the lower cutoff of >/=12, had adequate sensitivity when differentiating Autism from Not Autism, but weak sensitivity when differentiating ASD from NS, missing about 80% of the children with pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified. Using either the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers or the SCQ in combination with the ADOS did not result in improved specificity over the ADOS alone and led to a drop in sensitivity when differentiating ASD from NS disorders. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that following best practice guidelines, the ADOS can be successfully incorporated into clinical practice with relatively good sensitivity and specificity, and worked well with a referred sample of 2-year-olds. A parent questionnaire did not lead to any improvement in diagnostic classification above the ADOS used in isolation.
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3. Crane L, Lind SE, Bowler DM. {{Remembering the past and imagining the future in autism spectrum disorder}}. {Memory}. 2012.
Recent research has revealed that episodic memory (remembering past experiences) and episodic future thinking (imagining future experiences) rely on the same underlying neuro-cognitive system. Consistent with this suggestion, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to experience difficulties in both domains. In the present study 18 adults with ASD and 18 typical adults performed sentence completion tasks assessing the ability to generate past and future events. Contrary to previous research findings, results demonstrated that adults with ASD performed at an equivalent level to typical adults when generating both past and future events; generating a higher number of specific events when recalling past (relative to simulating future) events, and a higher number of semantic associates when simulating future (relative to recalling past) events. Results are discussed with respect to methodological factors affecting task performance in ASD including the social nature of the research, the need to verbalise memories to the experimenter, and whether or not the specific memory request is explicit.
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4. McConkey R, Samadi SA. {{The impact of mutual support on Iranian parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder: a longitudinal study}}. {Disabil Rehabil}. 2012.
Purpose: In less affluent countries with scarce professional resources, the mutual support from family and other parents may form the main assistance available to parents of children with developmental disabilities. However, few studies have attempted to promote mutual support among parents. Method: 28 mothers and fathers who attended a group-based training course on autism spectrum disorders were followed up after 12 months. Qualitative and quantitative data on parental well-being were gathered at three time points: before, 3 months after the course and then again 12 months later. Results: Eight parents (@ 30%) maintained contact with one another over the year and this grouping provided a natural experiment with those who had no further contact. All parents maintained improvements on self-rated health and family functioning but these tended to be greater for those who had maintained contact with one another. The post-training gains on parental stress had reverted to baseline levels for both groups. Conclusions: Despite opportunities to do so, most of these Iranian parents chose not to seek support from other families which may reflect cultural dispositions. Those that did so, found the contact beneficial although further training may assist with daily stresses of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorders.
