1. {{Treating patients with autism spectrum disorder-SCDA members’ attitudes and behavior}}. {Br Dent J};2011 (Apr 23);210(8):357.
The defining characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are impairment in communication and restricted and repetitive activities.
2. Aldred C, Green J, Emsley R, McConachie H. {{Brief Report: Mediation of Treatment Effect in a Communication Intervention for Pre-School Children with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2011 (Apr 22)
Tests of mediation in treatment trials can illuminate processes of change and suggest causal influences in development. We conducted a mediation analysis of a previously published randomised controlled trial of parent-mediated communication-focused treatment for autism against ordinary care, with 28 children aged 2-5 years (Aldred et al. in J Child Psychol Psychiatr 45:1-11, 2004). The hypothesised mediating process, targeted by the intervention, was an increase in parental synchronous response within parent-child interaction. The results showed partial mediation, with change in synchrony accounting for 34% of the positive intervention effect on autism symptomatology (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule communication and social domain algorithm); the result was confirmed by bootstrap estimation. Improved parental synchronous response to child communication can alter short-term autism symptom outcome with targeted therapy.
3. Beherec L, Lambrey S, Quilici G, Rosier A, Falissard B, Guillin O. {{Retrospective Review of Clozapine in the Treatment of Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Severe Disruptive Behaviors}}. {J Clin Psychopharmacol};2011 (Apr 19)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious childhood-onset disorder in which social and language development are primarily affected, with associated repetitive behavior and, in some patients, behavioral symptoms including aggression and self-injury. In ASD, risperidone and aripiprazole are the only second-generation antipsychotic drugs that have shown to decrease disruptive behaviors in large-scale, controlled, double-blind studies. However, in some patients, these medications are not effective. Clozapine, a second-generation antipsychotic drug known to be effective in the treatment of aggression associated with schizophrenia, has received little attention in ASD.We conducted a retrospective analysis of the changes in disruptive behaviors for all patients with ASD treated with clozapine from 2002 to 2010. Disruptive behaviors were monitored during the 4 to 6 months before and after the initiation of clozapine. Long-term tolerance (10 months to 7 years) was also assessed. The relationship between disruptive behaviors and period of treatment (before and after clozapine) was studied with a generalized linear marginal model. Clozapine resulted in a significant 2-fold decrease in the number of the days with aggression, a decrease in the number of psychotropic drugs, and a decrease in the dose of the antipsychotic drugs. The long-term tolerance of clozapine (white blood cell count and extrapyramidal effects) was good, with the exception of significant weight gain (14.3 +/- 10.9 kg), the occurrence of metabolic syndrome in 1 patient, and tachycardia in another patient.These results suggest that clozapine should be considered for the management of disruptive behaviors in patients with ASD not improved by first-line antipsychotic drugs.
4. El-Ansary AK, Ben Bacha AG, Al-Ayadhi LY. {{Impaired plasma phospholipids and relative amounts of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in autistic patients from Saudi Arabia}}. {Lipids Health Dis};2011 (Apr 22);10(1):63.
ABSTRACT: Backgrounds: Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by social and emotional deficits, language impairments and stereotyped behaviors that manifest in early postnatal life. This study aims to compare the relative concentrations of essential fatty acids (Linoleic and alpha- linolenic), their long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids in plasma of autistic patients from Saudi Arabia with age-matching controls. METHODS: 25 autistic children aged 3-15 years and 16 healthy children as control group were included in this study. Relative concentration of essential fatty acids / long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid series together with phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine were measured in plasma of both groups. RESULTS: Remarkable alteration of essential fatty acids / long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, omeg-3/ omega-6 and significant lower levels of phospholipids were reported. Reciever Operating characteristics (ROC) analysis of the measured parameters revealed a satisfactory level of sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION: Essential fatty acids / long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and omeg-3/omega-6 ratios, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine could be used as potential biomarkers that point to specific mechanisms in the development of autism and may help tailor treatment or prevention strategies.
5. Judson MC, Eagleson KL, Levitt P. {{A new synaptic player leading to autism risk: Met receptor tyrosine kinase}}. {J Neurodev Disord};2011 (Apr 21)
The validity for assigning disorder risk to an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) candidate gene comes from convergent genetic, clinical, and developmental neurobiology data. Here, we review these lines of evidence from multiple human genetic studies, and non-human primate and mouse experiments that support the conclusion that the MET receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) functions to influence synapse development in circuits relevant to certain core behavioral domains of ASD. There is association of both common functional alleles and rare copy number variants that impact levels of MET expression in the human cortex. The timing of Met expression is linked to axon terminal outgrowth and synaptogenesis in the developing rodent and primate forebrain, and both in vitro and in vivo studies implicate this RTK in dendritic branching, spine maturation, and excitatory connectivity in the neocortex. This impact can occur in a cell-nonautonomous fashion, emphasizing the unique role that Met plays in specific circuits relevant to ASD.
