1. Abel EA, Schwichtenberg AJ, Brodhead MT, Christ SL. {{Sleep and Challenging Behaviors in the Context of Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Children with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
This study examined the associations between sleep and challenging behaviors for average and night-to-night fluctuations in sleep, in 39 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receiving intensive behavioral intervention (IBI). Child sleep was recorded (via actigraphy) for five nights in conjunction with clinician-reported observations of challenging behaviors. Results indicated that on average, poor sleep was associated with higher rates of repetitive behavior, negative affect, and a composite of overall challenging behaviors. These findings suggest that average sleep patterns are important within the context of IBI (rather than night-to-night fluctuations). Interventions aimed at improving overall patterns of sleep may have important cascading effects on challenging behaviors and developmental outcomes for children with ASD and their families.
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2. Bours C, Bakker-Huvenaars MJ, Tramper J, Bielczyk N, Scheepers F, Nijhof KS, Baanders AN, Lambregts-Rommelse NNJ, Medendorp P, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK. {{Emotional face recognition in male adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or disruptive behavior disorder: an eye-tracking study}}. {Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry}. 2018.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) are often associated with emotion recognition difficulties. This is the first eye-tracking study to examine emotional face recognition (i.e., gazing behavior) in a direct comparison of male adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and typically developing (TD) individuals. We also investigate the role of psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and subtypes of aggressive behavior in emotional face recognition. A total of 122 male adolescents (N = 50 ASD, N = 44 ODD/CD, and N = 28 TD) aged 12-19 years (M = 15.4 years, SD= 1.9) were included in the current study for the eye-tracking experiment. Participants were presented with neutral and emotional faces using a Tobii 1750 eye-tracking monitor to record gaze behavior. Our main dependent eye-tracking variables were: (1) fixation duration to the eyes of a face and (2) time to the first fixation to the eyes. Since distributions of eye-tracking variables were not completely Gaussian, non-parametric tests were chosen to investigate gaze behavior across the diagnostic groups with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and Typically Developing individuals. Furthermore, we used Spearman correlations to investigate the links with psychopathy, callous, and unemotional traits and subtypes of aggression as assessed by questionnaires. The relative total fixation duration to the eyes was decreased in both the Autism Spectrum Disorder group and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group for several emotional expressions. In both the Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group, increased time to first fixation on the eyes of fearful faces only was nominally significant. The time to first fixation on the eyes was nominally correlated with psychopathic traits and proactive aggression. The current findings do not support strong claims for differential cross-disorder eye-gazing deficits and for a role of shared underlying psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional traits, and aggression subtypes. Our data provide valuable and novel insights into gaze timing distributions when looking at the eyes of a fearful face.
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3. Chamberlain D, Parent-Nichols J. {{Commentary on « sEMG Analysis During Landing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study »}}. {Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association}. 2018; 30(3): 195.
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4. Chezan LC, Drasgow E, McWhorter GZ, Starkey KIP, Hurdle BM. {{Discrimination and Generalization of Negatively-Reinforced Mands in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Behav Modif}. 2018: 145445518781957.
In this study, we extended the literature on the generalization of negatively-reinforced mands in three young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). First, we used example and nonexample stimuli embedded in mand training to teach a new, socially appropriate, negatively-reinforced mand to reject unpreferred food items while continuously assessing mand discrimination. Second, we evaluated the discriminated generalization of the newly acquired mand by using untrained example and nonexample stimuli. Finally, we conducted maintenance probes to examine if the new, discriminated mand occurred over time in the absence of training. Results suggest that our mand training produced acquisition of a discriminated negatively-reinforced mand in all three children. Data indicate that the newly acquired, discriminated mand generalized to untrained food items and was maintained after training was discontinued. We discuss the conceptual significance and clinical implications of using example and nonexample stimuli to produce acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of negatively-reinforced mands in young children with ASD and language delays.
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5. Dowd AC, Martinez K, Davidson BC, Hixon JG, Neal-Beevers AR. {{Response to Distress Varies by Social Impairment and Familiarity in Infants at Risk for Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Early impaired response to social partners’ distress may negatively impact subsequent social development. Identifying factors contributing to successful responding may inform assessment and intervention. This study explores how: (1) social impairment, and (2) partner familiarity relate to response to partners’ distress. Infants with and without older siblings with ASD were assessed at 12 (n = 29) and 15 (n = 35) months for social impairment markers, and responses to mother and experimenter each feigning distress. Infants with more social impairment showed less attention and affect at 15, but not 12 months. Infants attended more to the unfamiliar person, but exhibited greater affect toward the familiar person at 12 months. Results revealed social impairment and familiarity were separately related to infant response to partners’ distress.
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6. Durbin A, Balogh R, Lin E, Wilton AS, Lunsky Y. {{Emergency Department Use: Common Presenting Issues and Continuity of Care for Individuals With and Without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
This population-based cohort study examined the relationship between level of continuity of primary care and subsequent emergency department (ED) visits for adults with (n = 66,484) and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)(n = 2,760,670). Individuals with IDD were more likely than individuals with no IDD to visit the ED (33.96% versus 20.28%, p < 0.0001). For both groups receiving greater continuity of primary care was associated with less ED use, but this relationship was more marked for adults with IDD. While continuity of primary care can reduce ED use for populations with and without IDD, it is a higher priority for individuals with IDD whose cognitive and adaptive impairments may complicate help-seeking, diagnosis, and treatment. Improving primary care can have far-reaching implications for this complex population. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Fombonne E. {{Editorial: The rising prevalence of autism}}. {J Child Psychol Psychiatry}. 2018; 59(7): 717-20.
The first autism surveys were simple head counts of children already diagnosed with a severe autism phenotype and residing in small, circumscribed geographical areas. Prevalence was low, ranging from 0.4 to 2/1,000 in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Today, the methodology of surveys has become more complex; studies include large populations, multiple sites, stratified samples and rely on intricate sets of screening activities followed by some form of diagnostic confirmation procedures. Yet, and as surprising as it may be, there is no standardization of autism survey methodology. Each survey has unique design features that reflect the local educational and health services infrastructure and current social policies for children with disabilities, they include or not parents, teachers and subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and rely on variable screening and diagnostic instruments and methods. As such, prevalence differences between studies are hazardous to evaluate and whether observed discrepancies are due to method factors or true differences in population parameters, cannot be determined.
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8. Ganz JB. {{Introduction to the special issue on quality of single-case experimental research in developmental disabilities}}. {Res Dev Disabil}. 2018.
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9. Kelly N, Carey H. {{Commentary on « Relationships Between Gross Motor Skills and Social Function in Young Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder »}}. {Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association}. 2018; 30(3): 191.
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10. Maussion G, Moalic JM, Simonneau M, Gorwood P, Ramoz N. {{Increased expression of BDNF mRNA in the frontal cortex of autistic patients}}. {Behav Brain Res}. 2018.
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders for which genetic components have been well defined. However, specific gene deregulations related to synapse function in the autistic brain have not been as extensively described. Based on a candidate genes approach, we present in this study the expression data of 4 transcripts of interest (BDNF, CAMK2a, NR-CAM and RIMS1) located at the synapse in two regions of interest in the context of the ASDs; the lobule VI of cerebellum and the Brodmann area 46. We have also genotyped in our cohort the coding single nucleotide polymorphism rs6265, located in the BDNF gene. After correction for age and sex, whereas no change was observed in the lobule VI between controls and autistic patients, we found a significant increase of BDNF expression level in the BA46 from autistic patients. No significant interaction between the rs6265 genotype and autism was observed for the BDNF expression. However, « A » allele carriers are more likely to have increased BDNF levels. Finally, we found a significant positive correlation between BDNF and RIMS1 expression levels. Our data suggest that these two molecules which are involved in cell signalling at the synapse, might have coordinated expressions and, that BDNF regulation in the brain has to be investigated further in the context of ASDs.
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11. Paquet A, Olliac B, Golse B, Vaivre-Douret L. {{Nature of motor impairments in autism spectrum disorder: A comparison with developmental coordination disorder}}. {J Clin Exp Neuropsychol}. 2018: 1-14.
INTRODUCTION: Several authors have suggested the existence of motor disorders associated with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there are few comparative studies of psychomotor profiles that include assessments of neurological soft signs in children with ASD or DCD. We used a neuropsychomotor assessment for children with ASD from a standardized neurodevelopmental examination to understand the nature of the difficulties these children encounter. To uncover the differences and similarities in psychomotor profiles, we compared the profiles of children with ASD with those of children with DCD and focused on two recently described DCD subgroups: visuospatial-constructional (VSC) and mixed (MX). METHODS: We compared 18 children with ASD and 58 children with DCD (33 with VSC-DCD and 25 with MX-DCD) who were assessed with a battery of French-language tests (the NP-MOT) to evaluate the neuropsychomotor functions associated with visual perception and visual-spatial-motor structuring. RESULTS: Although there were similarities between the profiles of children with ASD and those with DCD (VSC-DCD or MX-DCD), these similarities were not associated with the predictive diagnostic markers that characterized subtypes of DCD. Instead, many variables (visuospatial-motor structuration, synkinetic movements, dynamic balance, manual dexterity, coordination, praxis, bodily spatial integration, and digital perception) differed among the three groups; the best performance was observed in the children with ASD. CONCLUSION: The neuropsychomotor profiles of children with ASD and those with VSC-DCD or MX-DCD differed, and these differences are discussed. Our results highlight that impairments of ASD are specific about lateralization disturbances and support the hypothesis of proprioceptive impairment due to visual fixation problems influenced by muscular tone in relation to the subcortical and cortical structures and possible interhemispheric disorder. Thus, some neuropsychomotor functions that underpin both gestures and a set of motor skills are affected.
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12. Rosales MR, Romack J, Angulo-Barroso R. {{sEMG Analysis During Landing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study}}. {Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association}. 2018; 30(3): 192-4.
PURPOSE: The aim was to explore the timing and duration of muscle activation during a landing task in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and compare their responses to those of children who are developing typically (TD). METHODS: Six children (ages 3-4.5 years), half with ASD, hung from a vertical bar, landed, and reacted to a light cue that signaled the child to run to the right or left or to stay in place. Electromyography and kinematics were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: Children with ASD had more and longer bursts of muscle activation during preimpact. In contrast, children TD displayed more and longer burst of muscle activation during impact. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that children with ASD have a less developed landing strategy compared with their peers TD. Further investigation into the neuromuscular components in children with ASD will guide future interventions for this population.
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13. Russo L, Craig F, Ruggiero M, Mancuso C, Galluzzi R, Lorenzo A, Fanizza I, Trabacca A. {{Exploring Visual Perspective Taking and body awareness in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Cognitive neuropsychiatry}. 2018; 23(4): 254-65.
INTRODUCTION: Recent evidence suggests that impairments in social cognition are associated to the cognitive abilities needed to take several viewpoints in perceptual situations and body awareness. The aim of the current study was to investigate Visual Perspective Taking (VPT) and Body awareness performance in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) compared with a group of children with Intellectual Disability (ID) and typically developing (TD) children. METHODS: Our groups were administered an IQ test and a VPT task, and body awareness tests. RESULTS: Children with ASD or ID were more impaired in body awareness development compared to TD (p < .001) children. The ASD group differentiates largely from the other two groups in the mean VPT (p < .001) scores. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides a framework for considering social impairments in autism on a broader scale, including visuoperceptual and body awareness difficulties as a core contributor to social interaction difficulties. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
14. Sanberg SA, Kuhn BR, Kennedy AE. {{Outcomes of a Behavioral Intervention for Sleep Disturbances in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of Bedtime Fading with Response Cost (BFRC) in decreasing sleep disturbances in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using parents as change agents by implementing treatment in the home environment. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants was used. Results indicate that BFRC was effective in eliminating unwanted co-sleeping, frequent night awakenings, and dependent sleep onset. Secondary improvements include reducing sleep onset latency, bedtime resistance, and disruptive sleep-related behaviors. Follow-up data demonstrate gains were maintained. Parents reported high satisfaction with BFRC and sleep outcomes for their children. This study extends both the practice and science of parent-implemented behavioral interventions as treatment options for children with ASD and co-occurring sleep disturbances.
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15. Stins JF, Emck C. {{Balance Performance in Autism: A Brief Overview}}. {Front Psychol}. 2018; 9: 901.
Children with autism not only have limited social and communicative skills but also have motor abnormalities, such as poor timing and coordination of balance. Moreover, impaired gross motor skills hamper participation with peers. Balance control is interesting from a cognitive science perspective, since it involves a complex interplay between information processing, motor planning, and timing and sequencing of muscle movements. In this paper, we discuss the background of motor problems in children with autism, focusing on how posture is informed by sensory information processing. We also discuss the neurobiological basis of balance problems, and how this is related to anxiety in this group. We then discuss possible avenues for treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, especially as regards movement-related interventions. Finally, we present a theoretical outlook and discuss whether some of the symptoms in ASD can be understood from an embodied cognition perspective.
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16. Torres A, Brownstein CA, Tembulkar SK, Graber K, Genetti C, Kleiman RJ, Sweadner KJ, Mavros C, Liu KX, Smedemark-Margulies N, Maski K, Yang E, Agrawal PB, Shi J, Beggs AH, D’Angelo E, Lincoln SH, Carroll D, Dedeoglu F, Gahl WA, Biggs CM, Swoboda KJ, Berry GT, Gonzalez-Heydrich J. {{De novo ATP1A3 and compound heterozygous NLRP3 mutations in a child with autism spectrum disorder, episodic fatigue and somnolence, and muckle-wells syndrome}}. {Molecular genetics and metabolism reports}. 2018; 16: 23-9.
Complex phenotypes may represent novel syndromes that are the composite interaction of several genetic and environmental factors. We describe an 9-year old male with high functioning autism spectrum disorder and Muckle-Wells syndrome who at age 5 years of age manifested perseverations that interfered with his functioning at home and at school. After age 6, he developed intermittent episodes of fatigue and somnolence lasting from hours to weeks that evolved over the course of months to more chronic hypersomnia. Whole exome sequencing showed three mutations in genes potentially involved in his clinical phenotype. The patient has a predicted pathogenic de novo heterozygous p.Ala681Thr mutation in the ATP1A3 gene (chr19:42480621C>T, GRCh37/hg19). Mutations in this gene are known to cause Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, Rapid Onset Dystonia Parkinsonism, and CAPOS syndrome, sometimes accompanied by autistic features. The patient also has compound heterozygosity for p.Arg490Lys/p.Val200Met mutations in the NLRP3 gene (chr1:247588214G>A and chr1:247587343G>A, respectively). NLRP3 mutations are associated in an autosomal dominant manner with clinically overlapping auto-inflammatory conditions including Muckle-Wells syndrome. The p.Arg490Lys is a known pathogenic mutation inherited from the patient’s father. The p.Val200Met mutation, inherited from his mother, is a variant of unknown significance (VUS). Whether the de novoATP1A3mutation is responsible for or plays a role in the patient’s episodes of fatigue and somnolence remains to be determined. The unprecedented combination of two NLRP3 mutations may be responsible for other aspects of his complex phenotype.
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17. Zhu ZW, Jin Y, Wu LL, Liu XL. {{Current status and challenge in clinical work of autism spectrum disorders in China}}. {World journal of pediatrics : WJP}. 2018; 14(3): 209-11.
