1. Hagmann CE, Wyble B, Shea N, LeBlanc M, Kates WR, Russo N. {{Children with Autism Detect Targets at Very Rapid Presentation Rates with Similar Accuracy as Adults}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2016 (Jan 22)
Enhanced perception may allow for visual search superiority by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but does it occur over time? We tested high-functioning children with ASD, typically developing (TD) children, and TD adults in two tasks at three presentation rates (50, 83.3, and 116.7 ms/item) using rapid serial visual presentation. In the Color task, participants detected a purple target letter amongst black letter distractors. In the Category task, participants detected a letter amongst number distractors. Slower rates resulted in higher accuracy. Children with ASD were more accurate than TD children and similar to adults at the fastest rate when detecting color-marked targets, indicating atypical neurodevelopment in ASD may cause generalized perceptual enhancement relative to typically developing peers.
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2. Levine SZ, Kodesh A, Goldberg Y, Reichenberg A, Furukawa TA, Kolevzon A, Leucht S. {{Initial severity and efficacy of risperidone in autism: Results from the RUPP trial}}. {Eur Psychiatry};2016 (Jan 20);32:16-20.
BACKGROUND: Risperidone is a common psychopharmacological treatment for irritability in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is not well-established how effective risperidone is across the initial symptom severity range. This study aims to examine the influence of baseline severity on the efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of ASD. METHODS: Participants were from the NIMH funded RUPP multisite, randomized, double-blind trial that compared risperidone to placebo to treat autistic disorder with severe tantrums, aggression, or self-injury. Participants were aged 5 to 17, and randomly assigned to risperidone (n=49) or placebo (n=52). Baseline and change scores were computed with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) parent assessed scales with irritability as the primary outcome, as well as the clinician assessed ABC Irritability subscale, and Clinical Global Impression Scale. RESULTS: The relationship between baseline severity and change scores for the risperdone and placebo groups was examined with eight competing three-level mixed-effects models for repeated measure models. Significant (P<0.01) interactions between treatment and baseline severity were observed for parent ABC ratings of irritability and lethargy only. Greater magnitudes of the differences between risperidone and placebo were observed from moderate to very severe baseline severity on irritability and lethargy. Initial severity values over approximately 30 had a strong effect on symptom change [irritability: effect size (ES)=1.9, number needed to treat (NNT)=2, lethargy ES=0.9, NNT=5]. CONCLUSIONS: Parents may expect benefits of risperidone on irritability and lethargy with moderate to severe symptoms of ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry name: ClinicalTrials.gov, trial identifier: NCT00005014, URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00005014?term=NCT00005014&rank=1, registered on March 31, 2000. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Tick B, Colvert E, McEwen F, Stewart C, Woodhouse E, Gillan N, Hallett V, Lietz S, Garnett T, Simonoff E, Ronald A, Bolton P, Happe F, Rijsdijk F. {{Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Mental Health Problems: Exploring Etiological Overlaps and Phenotypic Causal Associations}}. {J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry};2016 (Feb);55(2):106-113 e104.
OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have highlighted the impact of coexisting mental health problems in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). No twin studies to date have reported on individuals meeting diagnostic criteria of ASD. This twin study reports on the etiological overlap between the diagnosis of ASD and emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, and conduct problems measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. METHOD: Genetic and environmental influences on the covariance between ASD and coexisting problems were estimated, in line with the correlated risks model prediction. Phenotypic causality models were also fitted to explore alternative explanations of comorbidity: namely, that coexisting problems are the result of or result in ASD symptoms; that they increase recognition of ASD; or that they arise due to an over-observation bias/confusion when differentiating between phenotypes. RESULTS: More than 50% of twins with broad spectrum/ASD met the borderline/abnormal levels cut-off criteria for emotional symptoms or hyperactivity, and approximately 25% met these criteria for the 3 reported problems. In comparison, between 13% and 16% of unaffected twins scored above the cut-offs. The phenotypic correlation between ASD and emotional symptoms was explained entirely by genetic influences and accompanied by a moderate genetic correlation (0.42). The opposite was true for the overlap with conduct problems, as nonshared-environmental factors had the strongest impact. For hyperactivity, the best-fitting model suggested a unidirectional phenotypic influence of hyperactivity on ASD. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a possible effect of hyperactivity on identification of ASD. The lack of genetic influences on conduct problems-ASD overlap further supports the genetic independence of these 2 phenotypes. Finally, the co-occurrence of emotional symptoms in ASD, compared to other co-occurring problems, is completely explained by common genetic effects.
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4. Wilson CE, Murphy CM, McAlonan G, Robertson DM, Spain D, Hayward H, Woodhouse E, Deeley PQ, Gillan N, Ohlsen JC, Zinkstok J, Stoencheva V, Faulkner J, Yildiran H, Bell V, Hammond N, Craig MC, Murphy DG. {{Does sex influence the diagnostic evaluation of autism spectrum disorder in adults?}}. {Autism};2016 (Jan 22)
It is unknown whether sex influences the diagnostic evaluation of autism spectrum disorder, or whether male and female adults within the spectrum have different symptom profiles. This study reports sex differences in clinical outcomes for 1244 adults (935 males and 309 females) referred for autism spectrum disorder assessment. Significantly, more males (72%) than females (66%) were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder of any subtype (x2 = 4.09; p = 0.04). In high-functioning autism spectrum disorder adults (IQ > 70; N = 827), there were no significant sex differences in severity of socio-communicative domain symptoms. Males had significantly more repetitive behaviours/restricted interests than females (p = 0.001, d = 0.3). A multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction between autism spectrum disorder subtype (full-autism spectrum disorder/partial-autism spectrum disorder) and sex: in full-autism spectrum disorder, males had more severe socio-communicative symptoms than females; for partial-autism spectrum disorder, the reverse was true. There were no sex differences in prevalence of co-morbid psychopathologies. Sex influenced diagnostic evaluation in a clinical sample of adults with suspected autism spectrum disorder. The sexes may present with different manifestations of the autism spectrum disorder phenotype and differences vary by diagnostic subtype. Understanding and awareness of adult female repetitive behaviours/restricted interests warrant attention and sex-specific diagnostic assessment tools may need to be considered.
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5. Yaari M, Yitzhak N, Harel A, Friedlander E, Bar-Oz B, Eventov-Friedman S, Mankuta D, Gamliel I, Yirmiya N. {{Stability of early risk assessment for autism spectrum disorder in preterm infants}}. {Autism};2016 (Jan 22)
Stability and change in early autism spectrum disorder risk were examined in a cohort of 99 preterm infants (34 weeks of gestation) using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 and 12 months and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Toddler Module at 18 months. A total of 21 infants were identified at risk by the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 months, and 9 were identified at risk at 12 months, including 4 children who were not previously identified. At 18 months, eight children were identified at risk for autism spectrum disorder using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Toddler Module, only half of whom had been identified using the original Autism Observation Scale for Infants cutoffs. Results are discussed in relation to early trajectories of autism spectrum disorder risk among preterm infants as well as identifying social-communication deficiencies associated with the early preterm behavioral phenotype.
