1. Billing E, Belpaeme T, Cai H, Cao HL, Ciocan A, Costescu C, David D, Homewood R, Hernandez Garcia D, Gómez Esteban P, Liu H, Nair V, Matu S, Mazel A, Selescu M, Senft E, Thill S, Vanderborght B, Vernon D, Ziemke T. {{The DREAM Dataset: Supporting a data-driven study of autism spectrum disorder and robot enhanced therapy}}. {PLoS One};2020;15(8):e0236939.
We present a dataset of behavioral data recorded from 61 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The data was collected during a large-scale evaluation of Robot Enhanced Therapy (RET). The dataset covers over 3000 therapy sessions and more than 300 hours of therapy. Half of the children interacted with the social robot NAO supervised by a therapist. The other half, constituting a control group, interacted directly with a therapist. Both groups followed the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) protocol. Each session was recorded with three RGB cameras and two RGBD (Kinect) cameras, providing detailed information of children’s behavior during therapy. This public release of the dataset comprises body motion, head position and orientation, and eye gaze variables, all specified as 3D data in a joint frame of reference. In addition, metadata including participant age, gender, and autism diagnosis (ADOS) variables are included. We release this data with the hope of supporting further data-driven studies towards improved therapy methods as well as a better understanding of ASD in general.
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2. Grossi E, Terruzzi V. {{Exceptionally high COVID-19 viral load and very long duration of shedding in a young pauci-symptomatic child with autism resident in an Italian nursing home}}. {J Infect};2020 (Aug 22)
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3. Hirosawa T, Kontani K, Fukai M, Kameya M, Soma D, Hino S, Kitamura T, Hasegawa C, An KM, Takahashi T, Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M. {{Different associations between intelligence and social cognition in children with and without autism spectrum disorders}}. {PLoS One};2020;15(8):e0235380.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impaired social cognition and communication. In addition to social impairment, individuals with ASD often have intellectual disability. Intelligence is known to influence the phenotypic presentation of ASD. Nevertheless, the relation between intelligence and social reciprocity in people with ASD remains unclear, especially in childhood. To elucidate this relation, we analyzed 56 typically developing children (35 male, 21 female, aged 60-91 months) and 46 children with ASD (35 male, 11 female, aged 60-98 months) from university and affiliated hospitals. Their cognitive function was evaluated using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Their social cognition was assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale. We used linear regression models to ascertain whether the associations between intelligence and social cognition of typically developing children and children with ASD are significantly different. Among the children with ASD, scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children correlated significantly with social cognition, indicating that higher intelligence is associated with better social cognition. For typically developing children, however, no significant correlation was found. One explanation might be that children with ASD fully use general intelligence for successful learning in social cognition, although extensive use of intelligence might not be necessary for TD children. Alternatively, autistic impairment in social cognition can be compensated by intelligence despite a persistent deficit in social cognition. In either case, when using the SRS as a quantitative phenotype measure for ASD, the influence of intelligence must be considered.
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4. Kostiukow A, Samborski W. {{[Autism spectrum disorder and comorbidities]}}. {Pol Merkur Lekarski};2020 (Aug 22);49(286):289-292.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors, according to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In addition to the possible subtypes of autism, several medical and behavioral conditions are known to co-exist with it. It is estimated that approximately 75% of individuals with ASD present with associated medical conditions, genetic syndromes, or mental health disorders. One of the major limitations when identifying, diagnosing, treating and understanding ASD is the fact that ASD is exclusively defined based on the observation of behaviors. The fact remains that there is no proven biological measurement (e.g., blood test or radiological scan) which can identify pathophysiological processes that can aid in the diagnosis or treatment this group of patients.
5. Kumazaki H, Muramatsu T, Yoshikawa Y, Matsumoto Y, Ishiguro H, Kikuchi M, Sumiyoshi T, Mimura M. {{Optimal robot for intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Psychiatry Clin Neurosci};2020 (Aug 22)
With recent rapid advances in technology, human-like robots have begun functioning in a variety of ways. As increasing anecdotal evidence suggests, robots may offer many unique opportunities for helping individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Individuals with ASD often achieve a higher degree of task engagement through the interaction with robots than through interactions with human trainees. The type and form of robots to be used for individuals with ASD have been meticulously considered. Simple robots and animal robots are acceptable because of their simplicity and the ease of interesting and engaging interactions. Android robots have the benefit of the potential of generalization into daily life to some extent. Considering the affinity between robots and users is important to draw out the potential capabilities of robotic intervention to the fullest extent. In the robotic condition, factors such as the appearance, biological motion, clothes, hairstyle, and disposition are important. Many factors of a user such as age, sex, and intelligence quotient may also affect the affinity of individuals with ASD toward a robot. The potential end-users of this technology are unaware or unconvinced of the potential roles of robots in autism spectrum disorder interventions. If trainers have extensive experience in using robots, they can identify many potential roles of robots based on their experience. To date, only a few studies have been conducted in the field of robotics for providing assistance to individuals with ASD, and future studies are needed to realize an optimal robot for this purpose. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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6. Liao X, Yang J, Wang H, Li Y. {{Microglia mediated neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder}}. {J Psychiatr Res};2020 (Jul 29);130:167-176.
BACKGROUND: Although the precise pathophysiologies underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not yet been fully clarified, growing evidence supports the involvement of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of this disorder, with microglia being particular relevance in the pathophysiologic processes. OBJECTIVE: The present review aimed to systematically characterize existing literature regarding the role of microglia mediated neuroinflammation in the etiology of ASD. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for records indexed within Pubmed, EMBASE, or Web of Science to identify potentially eligible publications. Study selection and data extraction were performed by two authors, and the discrepancies in each step were settled through discussions. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies comprising 1007 subjects met the eligibility criteria for this review, including 8 immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies, 5 genetic analysis studies, and 1 positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Although small in quantity, the included studies collectively pointed to a role of microglia mediated neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of ASD. CONCLUSION: Findings generated from this review consistently supported the involvement of neuroinflammation in the development of ASD, confirmed by the activation of microglia in different brain regions, involving increased cell number or cell density, morphological alterations, and phenotypic shifts.
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7. Rivest D, Prud’homme J. {{Incertitude diagnostique et action politique : une association de parents face aux politiques de l’autisme, 1982-2017}}. {Can Bull Med Hist};2020 (Aug 20):e392102019.
The definition of diagnostic categories, such as autism, is not always consensual. It can be the cause of political struggles between various actors, including professionals, public administrations or patient associations. However, little is known about the situation of patient or parent associations in these « diagnostic politics. » We assert here that these associations are more sensitive to the politics of definition than is suggested by the current historiography. Through an analysis of discourses and strategies of the Quebec Autism Society from 1982 to 2017, we document the role that this association intends to play in the politics of autism and we show how the adoption by the state of diagnostic-based policies intensify definitional debates in civil society, including among parents.
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8. Schwartz S, Wang L, Shinn-Cunningham BG, Tager-Flusberg H. {{Neural Evidence for Speech Processing Deficits During a Cocktail Party Scenario in Minimally and Low Verbal Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism}}. {Autism Res};2020 (Aug 22)
As demonstrated by the Cocktail Party Effect, a person’s attention is grabbed when they hear their name in a multispeaker setting. However, individuals with autism (ASD) are commonly challenged in multispeaker settings and often do not respond to salient speech, including one’s own name (OON). It is unknown whether neural responses during this Cocktail Party scenario differ in those with ASD and whether such differences are associated with expressive language or auditory filtering abilities. We measured neural responses to hearing OON in quiet and multispeaker settings using electroencephalography in 20 minimally or low verbal ASD (ASD-MLV), 27 verbally fluent ASD (ASD-V), and 27 neurotypical (TD) participants, ages 13-22. First, we determined whether TD’s neural responses to OON relative to other names could be quantified with early frontal mismatch responses (MMRs) and late, slow shift parietal and frontal responses (LPPs/FNs). Second, we compared the strength of MMRs and LPPs/FNs across the three groups. Third, we tested whether participants with poorer auditory filtering abilities exhibited particularly weak neural responses to OON heard in a multispeaker setting. Our primary finding was that TDs and ASD-Vs, but not ASD-MLVs, had significant MMRs to OON in a multispeaker setting, and strength of LPPs positively correlated with auditory filtering abilities in those with ASD. These findings reveal electrophysiological correlates of auditory filtering disruption within a clinical population that has severe language and communication impairments and offer a novel neuroimaging approach to studying the Cocktail Party effect in neurotypical and clinical populations. LAY SUMMARY: We found that minimally and low verbal adolescents and young adults with autism exhibit decreased neural responses to one’s own name when heard in a multispeaker setting. In addition, decreased strength of neural responses in those with autism correlated with decreased auditory filtering abilities. We propose that these neural deficits may reflect the ineffective processing of salient speech in noisy settings and contribute to language and communication deficits observed in autism.
