1. AlHumaid J, Tesini D, Finkelman M, Loo CY. {{Effectiveness of the D-TERMINED Program of Repetitive Tasking for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Dent Child (Chic)}. 2016; 83(1): 16-21.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the D-TERMINED Program with standard behavior guidance techniques (SBGTs) used for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a private dental setting. METHODS: A retrospective data analysis was performed from records of children with ASD who received treatment using either the D-TERMINED program or SBGTs at two private dental practices. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher’s exact, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, and Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression. RESULTS: Forty-four charts (22 in each group) were selected from office visits between 1999 and 2012. Children in the D-TERMINED group were significantly younger (P=0.01). There were no significant differences between groups regarding gender and dental care characteristics. Patients treated with the D-TERMINED program showed a significantly greater improvement in behavioral scores compared to the control group (P=0.03). Additionally, children treated with the D-TERMINED program had significantly lower referrals for dental treatment under general anesthesia (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: The D-TERMINED program may help children with ASD learn the cooperation skills necessary to receive treatment in a dental practice, which might impact health care cost effectiveness.
2. Arndt J. {{[Against all odds]}}. {Dtsch Med Wochenschr}. 2016; 141(1): 67.
3. Berggren S, Engstrom AC, Bolte S. {{Facial affect recognition in autism, ADHD and typical development}}. {Cogn Neuropsychiatry}. 2016: 1-15.
INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been associated with facial affect recognition (FAR) alterations. METHODS: This study examined accuracy and response times for general and specific FAR in whole face and eye-region stimuli. FAR was assessed in matched samples of children and adolescents with ASD (n = 35), ADHD (n = 32), and typical development (TD) (n = 32) aged 8.6-15.9 years (M = 11.6; SD = 2.0). RESULTS: Compared to TD, the ASD group performed less accurate and showed longer response times for general and specific FAR, mostly driven by problems in neutral and happy face identification. The ADHD group responded faster than the ASD group for global FAR. No differences between ADHD and TD were found. Attentional distractibility had a significant effect on FAR performance in ASD and ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirm FAR alterations in ASD, but not ADHD, and endorse effects of attentional distractibility on FAR in ASD and ADHD. FAR and attention function training is clinically meaningful in ASD. Future studies should include control for visual attention and facial configuration skills, use naturalistic FAR material and also investigate implicit FAR.
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4. Berna F, Goritz AS, Schroder J, Coutelle R, Danion JM, Cuervo-Lombard CV, Moritz S. {{Self-Disorders in Individuals with Autistic Traits: Contribution of Reduced Autobiographical Reasoning Capacities}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
The present web-based study (N = 840) aimed to illuminate the cognitive mechanisms underlying self-disorders in autism. Initially, participants selected three self-defining memories. Then, we assessed their capacity to give meaning to these events (i.e., meaning making), their tendency to scrutinize autobiographical memory to better understand themselves (i.e., self-continuity function of autobiographical memory) and their clarity of self-concept. The results showed that individuals with high autistic traits (ATs) had a lower clarity of self-concept than control participants. Meaning making was also reduced in AT individuals and mediated the relation between AT and self-concept clarity. Our results suggest that the reduced clarity of self-concept in AT individuals is related to an impaired capacity to make meaning of important past life events.
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5. Berryessa CM. {{Brief Report: Judicial Attitudes Regarding the Sentencing of Offenders with High Functioning Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
This brief report presents preliminary data on the attitudes of judges on the sentencing of offenders with High Functioning Autism (HFA). Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with twenty-one California Superior Court Judges. Interviews were qualitatively coded and constant comparative analysis was utilized. Findings revealed that judges consider HFA as both a mitigating and aggravating factor in sentencing, and knowledge of an offender’s disorder could potentially help judges understand why a criminal action might have been committed. Judges voiced concerns about the criminal justice system being able to effectively help or offer sentencing options for offenders with HFA. Finally, judges reported that they are focused on using their judicial powers and influence to provide treatment and other resources during sentencing.
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6. Cetin I, Tezdig I, Tarakcioglu MC, Kadak MT, Demirel OF, Ozer OF. {{Serum levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein and Nogo-A in children with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Biomarkers}. 2016: 1-5.
CONTEXT: Improved biomarkers would facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the levels of Nogo-A and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in children with ASD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum concentrations of GFAP and Nogo-A were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In this preliminary study, we found that serum Nogo-A was not found significantly different between groups, while serum levels of GFAP were significantly lower in ASD than controls. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: It will be of great interest to determine other potential causes of elevated serum levels of GFAP, and whether this elevation has any phenotypic effect.
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7. Dickinson K, Place M. {{The Impact of a Computer-Based Activity Program on the Social Functioning of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder}}. {Games Health J}. 2016.
BACKGROUND: Problems with social functioning are a major area of difficulty for children with autism. Such problems have the potential to exert a negative influence on several aspects of the children’s functioning, including their ability to access education. This study looked to examine if a computer-based activity program could improve the social functioning of these children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a pooled subject design, 100 children with autistic spectrum disorder were randomly allocated, controlling where possible for age and gender, to either an intervention or a control group. The children in the intervention group were encouraged to use the Nintendo (Kyoto, Japan) Wii and the software package « Mario & Sonic at the Olympics » in addition to their routine school physical education classes over a 9-month period. The control group attended only the routine physical education classes. RESULTS: After 1 year, analysis of the changes in the scores of teacher-completed measures of social functioning showed that boys in the intervention group had made statistically significant improvement in their functioning when compared with controls. The number of girls in the study was too small for any change to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: This type of intervention appears to have potential as a mechanism to produce improvement in the social functioning, at least of boys, as part of a physical education program.
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8. Falahpour M, Thompson WK, Abbott AE, Jahedi A, Mulvey ME, Datko M, Liu TT, Muller RA. {{Underconnected, But Not Broken? Dynamic Functional Connectivity MRI Shows Underconnectivity in Autism Is Linked to Increased Intra-Individual Variability Across Time}}. {Brain Connect}. 2016.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by core sociocommunicative impairments. Atypical intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) has been reported in numerous studies of ASD. A majority of findings has indicated long-distance underconnectivity. However, fMRI studies have thus far exclusively examined static iFC across several minutes of scanning. We examined temporal variability of iFC, using sliding window analyses in selected high-quality (low-motion) consortium datasets from 76 ASD and 76 matched typically developing (TD) participants (Study 1) and in-house data from 32 ASD and 32 TD participants. Mean iFC and standard deviation of the sliding window correlation (SD-iFC) were computed for regions of interest (ROIs) from default mode and salience networks, as well as amygdala and thalamus. In both studies, ROI pairings with significant underconnectivity (ASD
9. Fluegge K. {{Methyl B12 and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Any Clues to Etiology?}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol}. 2016.
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10. Gona JK, Newton CR, Rimba KK, Mapenzi R, Kihara M, Vijver FV, Abubakar A. {{Challenges and coping strategies of parents of children with autism on the Kenyan coast}}. {Rural Remote Health}. 2016; 16(2): 3517.
INTRODUCTION: Research on the challenges of raising a child with autism is mostly conducted in Europe, North America and Australia, and has revealed that parents have to come to terms with living with a lifelong developmental disability. In addition, parents are faced with numerous concerns, such as caring burdens, poor prognosis, and negative public attitudes. Virtually no research has been conducted in Africa on this subject. METHODS: Thirty-seven interviews and eight focus group discussions were conducted with parents of children with autism and professionals in regular contact with these parents from rural and urban counties of the Kenyan coast. The study investigated challenges faced by parents and how they cope with those challenges. A purposive-convenience sampling procedure was used in selecting the study participants. A digital recorder was used to record all the interviews and focus group discussions. Transcriptions were done in Swahili, translated into English, and then imported to the NVivo software program for content analysis. RESULTS: The results indicate that parents of children with autism on the Kenyan coast experience common challenges including stigma, lack of appropriate treatment, financial and caring burdens regardless of their religious and cultural backgrounds. Coping strategies applied by parents comprised problem-focused aspects that involve diet management and respite care, and emotion-focused aspects that consist of beliefs in supernatural powers, prayers and spiritual healing. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study reveals a range of challenges that could have significant impact when caring for a child with autism. Coping strategies applied by parents target the physical health of the child and the psychological wellbeing of the parent. Consideration of these outcomes is vital as they could impact the initiation of a community-based rehabilitation service delivery in rural settings where parents play an active role.
11. Hewitt A, Hall-Lande J, Hamre K, Esler AN, Punyko J, Reichle J, Gulaid AA. {{Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Prevalence in Somali and Non-Somali Children}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
The current study presents results from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) public health surveillance project conducted in Minneapolis. The study was designed to compare ASD prevalence in Somali children (ages 7-9) to that of non-Somali children. The study adapted methodology used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Results indicated that Somali (1 in 32) and White (1 in 36) children were about equally likely to be identified with ASD, but more likely to be identified with ASD than Black and Hispanic children. Somali children with ASD were significantly more likely to have an intellectual disability than children with ASD in all other racial and ethnic groups.
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12. Hicks SD, Ignacio C, Gentile K, Middleton FA. {{Salivary miRNA profiles identify children with autism spectrum disorder, correlate with adaptive behavior, and implicate ASD candidate genes involved in neurodevelopment}}. {BMC Pediatr}. 2016; 16(1): 52.
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that lacks adequate screening tools, often delaying diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Despite a substantial genetic component, no single gene variant accounts for >1 % of ASD incidence. Epigenetic mechanisms that include microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to the ASD phenotype by altering networks of neurodevelopmental genes. The extracellular availability of miRNAs allows for painless, noninvasive collection from biofluids. In this study, we investigated the potential for saliva-based miRNAs to serve as diagnostic screening tools and evaluated their potential functional importance. METHODS: Salivary miRNA was purified from 24 ASD subjects and 21 age- and gender-matched control subjects. The ASD group included individuals with mild ASD (DSM-5 criteria and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and no history of neurologic disorder, pre-term birth, or known chromosomal abnormality. All subjects completed a thorough neurodevelopmental assessment with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales at the time of saliva collection. A total of 246 miRNAs were detected and quantified in at least half the samples by RNA-Seq and used to perform between-group comparisons with non-parametric testing, multivariate logistic regression and classification analyses, as well as Monte-Carlo Cross-Validation (MCCV). The top miRNAs were examined for correlations with measures of adaptive behavior. Functional enrichment analysis of the highest confidence mRNA targets of the top differentially expressed miRNAs was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), as well as the Simons Foundation Autism Database (AutDB) of ASD candidate genes. RESULTS: Fourteen miRNAs were differentially expressed in ASD subjects compared to controls (p <0.05; FDR <0.15) and showed more than 95 % accuracy at distinguishing subject groups in the best-fit logistic regression model. MCCV revealed an average ROC-AUC value of 0.92 across 100 simulations, further supporting the robustness of the findings. Most of the 14 miRNAs showed significant correlations with Vineland neurodevelopmental scores. Functional enrichment analysis detected significant over-representation of target gene clusters related to transcriptional activation, neuronal development, and AutDB genes. CONCLUSION: Measurement of salivary miRNA in this pilot study of subjects with mild ASD demonstrated differential expression of 14 miRNAs that are expressed in the developing brain, impact mRNAs related to brain development, and correlate with neurodevelopmental measures of adaptive behavior. These miRNAs have high specificity and cross-validated utility as a potential screening tool for ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
13. Howe FE, Stagg SD. {{Erratum to: How Sensory Experiences Affect Adolescents with an Autistic Spectrum Condition within the Classroom}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
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14. Katz J, d’Albis MA, Boisgontier J, Poupon C, Mangin JF, Guevara P, Duclap D, Hamdani N, Petit J, Monnet D, Le Corvoisier P, Leboyer M, Delorme R, Houenou J. {{Similar white matter but opposite grey matter changes in schizophrenia and high-functioning autism}}. {Acta Psychiatr Scand}. 2016.
OBJECTIVE: High-functioning autism (HFA) and schizophrenia (SZ) are two of the main neurodevelopmental disorders, sharing several clinical dimensions and risk factors. Their exact relationship is poorly understood, and few studies have directly compared both disorders. Our aim was thus to directly compare neuroanatomy of HFA and SZ using a multimodal MRI design. METHODS: We scanned 79 male adult subjects with 3T MRI (23 with HFA, 24 with SZ and 32 healthy controls, with similar non-verbal IQ). We compared them using both diffusion-based whole-brain tractography and T1 voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS: HFA and SZ groups exhibited similar white matter alterations in the left fronto-occipital inferior fasciculus with a decrease in generalized fractional anisotropy compared with controls. In grey matter, the HFA group demonstrated bilateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate increases in contrast with prefrontal and left temporal reductions in SZ. CONCLUSION: HFA and SZ may share common white matter deficits in long-range connections involved in social functions, but opposite grey matter abnormalities in frontal regions that subserve complex cognitive functions. Our results are consistent with the fronto-occipital underconnectivity theory of HFA and the altered connectivity hypothesis of SZ and suggest the existence of both associated and diametrical liabilities to these two conditions.
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15. Lopez-Mourelo O, Mur E, Madrigal I, Alvarez-Mora MI, Gomez-Anson B, Pagonabarraga J, Rodriguez-Revenga L, Mila M. {{Social anxiety and autism spectrum traits among adult FMR1 premutation carriers}}. {Clin Genet}. 2016.
Behavioral symptoms and traits have been proposed as early markers in neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate social anxiety and autism in FMR1 premutation carriers using the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaires. Fifty-nine premutation carriers were compared with 50 controls. The SPIN test showed statistically significant differences between female but not male carriers. The AQ questionnaire found statistically significant differences between premutation carriers and controls in the total AQ as well as in the social skills and attention switching subdomains. A gender effect was only observed for the social skills subdomain. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a moderately positive correlation with the total AQ scores as well as the social skills and communication subdomains. Our results show that FXTAS patients have higher AQ scores. Moreover, this is the first study to find statistically significant differences between FXTAS and no-FXTAS premutation carriers in the communication and the imagination subdomains, suggesting that FXTAS patients present a broader autistic phenotype than premutation carriers without FXTAS. Based on our results a wide range of behavioral/psychiatric traits should be included within the broader phenotypic presentation of individuals with the FMR1 premutation.
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16. Mathu-Muju KR, Li HF, Nam LH, Bush HM. {{Visualizing the Comorbidity Burden in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Receiving Dental Treatment Under General Anesthesia}}. {Pediatr Dent}. 2016; 38(2): 134-9.
PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to: (1) describe the comorbidity burden in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA); and (2) characterize the complexity of these concurrent comorbidities. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed of 303 children with ASD who received dental treatment under GA. All comorbidities, in addition to the primary diagnosis of ASD, were categorized using the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes. The interconnectedness of the comorbidities was graphically displayed using a network plot. Network indices (degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality) were used to characterize the comorbidities that exhibited the highest connectedness to ASD. RESULTS: The network plot of medical diagnoses for children with ASD was highly complex, with multiple connected comorbidities. Developmental delay, speech delay, intellectual disability, and seizure disorders exhibited the highest connectedness to ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Children with autism spectrum disorder may have a significant comorbidity burden of closely related neurodevelopmental disorders. The medical history review should assess the severity of these concurrent disorders to evaluate a patient’s potential ability to cooperate for dental treatment and to determine appropriate behavior guidance techniques to facilitate the delivery of dental care.
17. Popple B, Wall C, Flink L, Powell K, Discepolo K, Keck D, Mademtzi M, Volkmar F, Shic F. {{Brief Report: Remotely Delivered Video Modeling for Improving Oral Hygiene in Children with ASD: A Pilot Study}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
Children with autism have heightened risk of developing oral health problems. Interventions targeting at-home oral hygiene habits may be the most effective means of improving oral hygiene outcomes in this population. This randomized control trial examined the effectiveness of a 3-week video-modeling brushing intervention delivered to patients over the internet. Eighteen children with autism were assigned to an Intervention or Control video condition. Links to videos were delivered via email twice daily. Blind clinical examiners provided plaque index ratings at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint. Results show oral hygiene improvements in both groups, with larger effect sizes in the Intervention condition. The findings provide preliminary support for the use of internet-based interventions to improve oral hygiene for children with autism.
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18. Slashcheva L, Rader R, Sulkes S. {{Would People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Benefit from Being Designated « Underserved »?}}. {AMA J Ethics}. 2016; 18(4): 422-9.
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19. Stahmer AC, Suhrheinrich J, Mandell DS. {{The importance of characterizing intervention for individuals with autism}}. {Autism}. 2016; 20(4): 386-7.
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20. Timmons L, Willis KD, Pruitt MM, Ekas NV. {{Predictors of Daily Relationship Quality in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 70) completed online measures of global constructs (i.e., stable individual characteristics measured at time 1), which included resilience, depressive symptoms, and family functioning, followed by 14 daily questionnaires assessing relationship quality and affect on a given day. The global constructs were examined as predictors of daily relationship quality using multilevel modeling. Daily affect was examined in association with daily relationship factors (partner conflict, support from partner, and relationship happiness). Depressive symptoms and family flexibility predicted daily relationship quality. On a daily level, affect was associated with relationship quality. Results emphasize the potential of interventions to improve the quality of parents’ relationships by addressing maternal mental health, family functioning, and daily affect.
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21. Timonen-Soivio L, Vanhala R, Malm H, Hinkka-Yli-Salomaki S, Gissler M, Brown A, Sourander A. {{Brief Report: Syndromes in Autistic Children in a Finnish Birth Cohort}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2016.
We studied the association between specific congenital syndromes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the large Finnish Register material. Our data include all children diagnosed with ASD (n = 4441) according to Finnish Hospital Discharge Register in 1987-2000. Four controls per each case were matched to sex, birthplace, date of birth (+/-30 days) and residence in Finland (n = 17,695). The prevalence of specific congenital syndromes in the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations was evaluated among the ASD group and the controls by sex. The results of this study suggest that there is an association between several etiologically different syndromes and ASD when compared to controls without ASD. Statistically significant associations were observed with 47,XYY, Sotos syndrome, neurofibromatosis I, and syndrome not otherwise specified. Syndromes were more common among males with ASD compared to controls. These results support the previous studies of etiological heterogeneity of ASD and have importance in clinical examination, management and rehabilitation.
