1. Abulebda K, Louer R, Lutfi R, Ahmed SS. {{A Comparison of Safety and Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine and Propofol in Children with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2018 (Apr 21)
Children with autism and autism spectrum disorders have a high incidence of neurologic comorbidities. Consequently, evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is deemed necessary. Sedating these patients poses several challenges. This retrospective study compared the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine to propofol in sedating autistic patients undergoing MRI. There were 56 patients in the dexmedetomidine group and 49 in the propofol group. All of the patients successfully completed the procedure. Recovery and discharge times were significantly lower in the propofol group, while the dexmedetomidine group maintained more stable hemodynamics. Both propofol and dexmedetomidine proved to be adequate and safe medications in the sedation of autistic children undergoing MRI.
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2. Ammons CJ, Doss CF, Bala D, Kana RK. {{Brain Responses Underlying Anthropomorphism, Agency, and Social Attribution in Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Open Neuroimag J};2018;12:16-29.
Background: Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, is frequently impaired in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and may result from altered activation of social brain regions. Conversely, Typically Developing (TD) individuals overextend ToM and show a strong tendency to anthropomorphize and interpret biological motion in the environment. Less is known about how the degree of anthropomorphism influences intentional attribution and engagement of the social brain in ASD. Objective: This fMRI study examines the extent of anthropomorphism, its role in social attribution, and the underlying neural responses in ASD and TD using a series of human stick figures and geometrical shapes. Methods: 14 ASD and 14 TD adults watched videos of stick figures and triangles interacting in random or socially meaningful ways while in an fMRI scanner. In addition, they completed out-of-scanner measures of ToM skill and real-world social deficits. Whole brain statistical analysis was performed for regression and within and between group comparisons of all conditions using SPM12’s implementation of the general linear model. Results: ToM network regions were activated in response to social movement and human-like characters in ASD and TD. In addition, greater ToM ability was associated with increased TPJ and MPFC activity while watching stick figures; whereas more severe social symptoms were associated with reduced right TPJ activation in response to social movement. Conclusion: These results suggest that degree of anthropomorphism does not differentially affect social attribution in ASD and highlights the importance of TPJ in ToM and social attribution.
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3. Arik A, Aksoy C, Aysev A, Akcakin M. {{Lower-extremity rotational profile and toe-walking in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {J Pediatr Orthop B};2018 (Apr 24)
The aim of this study was to establish the torsional and toe-walking profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to analyze the correlations between torsion, toe-walking, autism severity score, and age. In total, 79 consecutive children with autism were examined to determine their hip rotations, thigh-foot angle, degree of toe-walking, and autism severity. Femoral and tibial torsion values, of the preschool patients, were compared statistically with age-matched controls. The hip rotation profile of the patients was similar to the normal group. Nearly a half of the patients with ASD present excessive external tibial torsion. The difference in the tibial torsion between patients and normal children was statistically significant. A weak correlation was found only between tibial torsion and the autism severity score, but no correlation was found between the other parameters. External tibial torsion is the cardinal and persistent orthopedic manifestation among patients with ASD. Toe-walking is the second most common such manifestation and is an independent orthopedic feature in these patients. External tibial torsion may potentially contribute toward the described gait abnormalities in patients with ASD.
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4. Ben-Sasson A, Robins DL, Yom-Tov E. {{Risk Assessment for Parents Who Suspect Their Child Has Autism Spectrum Disorder: Machine Learning Approach}}. {J Med Internet Res};2018 (Apr 24);20(4):e134.
BACKGROUND: Parents are likely to seek Web-based communities to verify their suspicions of autism spectrum disorder markers in their child. Automated tools support human decisions in many domains and could therefore potentially support concerned parents. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of assessing autism spectrum disorder risk in parental concerns from Web-based sources, using automated text analysis tools and minimal standard questioning. METHODS: Participants were 115 parents with concerns regarding their child’s social-communication development. Children were 16- to 30-months old, and 57.4% (66/115) had a family history of autism spectrum disorder. Parents reported their concerns online, and completed an autism spectrum disorder-specific screener, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised, with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F), and a broad developmental screener, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). An algorithm predicted autism spectrum disorder risk using a combination of the parent’s text and a single screening question, selected by the algorithm to enhance prediction accuracy. RESULTS: Screening measures identified 58% (67/115) to 88% (101/115) of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder. Children with a family history of autism spectrum disorder were 3 times more likely to show autism spectrum disorder risk on screening measures. The prediction of a child’s risk on the ASQ or M-CHAT-R was significantly more accurate when predicted from text combined with an M-CHAT-R question selected (automatically) than from the text alone. The frequently automatically selected M-CHAT-R questions that predicted risk were: following a point, make-believe play, and concern about deafness. CONCLUSIONS: The internet can be harnessed to prescreen for autism spectrum disorder using parental concerns by administering a few standardized screening questions to augment this process.
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5. Boyd BA, Watson LR, Reszka SS, Sideris J, Alessandri M, Baranek GT, Crais ER, Donaldson A, Gutierrez A, Johnson L, Belardi K. {{Efficacy of the ASAP Intervention for Preschoolers with ASD: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2018 (Apr 24)
The advancing social-communication and play (ASAP) intervention was designed as a classroom-based intervention, in which the educational teams serving preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder are trained to implement the intervention in order to improve these children’s social-communication and play skills. In this 4-year, multi-site efficacy trial, classrooms were randomly assigned to ASAP or a business-as-usual control condition. A total of 78 classrooms, including 161 children, enrolled in this study. No significant group differences were found for the primary outcomes of children’s social-communication and play. However, children in the ASAP group showed increased classroom engagement. Additionally, participation in ASAP seemed to have a protective effect for one indicator of teacher burnout. Implications for future research are discussed.
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6. Dell’Osso L, Conversano C, Corsi M, Bertelloni CA, Cremone IM, Carpita B, Carbone MG, Gesi C, Carmassi C. {{Polysubstance and Behavioral Addictions in a Patient with Bipolar Disorder: Role of Lifetime Subthreshold Autism Spectrum}}. {Case Rep Psychiatry};2018;2018:1547975.
This case report draws attention to the potential relevance of undetected autism spectrum symptoms in a bipolar patient with high work functioning showing a peculiar addictive profile with impulsive and antisocial behaviors. A 23-year-old man with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (BD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) was hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Pisa for diuretics and beta-2 adrenergic agonist abuse in a remission phase of benzodiazepines and substance abuse. He reported a history of behavioral addictions in the framework of a global high work functioning with particular skills in computer science. When assessed for adult autism spectrum symptoms, despite not fulfilling a DSM-5 diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), he reported a score of 93/240 at the Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale (RAADS-r) and of 88/160 at the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), both indicative of ASD. We argue the possible role of adult subthreshold autism spectrum features, generally disregarded in adult psychiatry, in the peculiar addictive profile developed by this patient with BD that may deserve appropriate treatment.
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7. Dipasquale V, Cutrupi MC, Colavita L, Manti S, Cuppari C, Salpietro C. {{Neuroinflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Role of High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein}}. {Int J Mol Cell Med};2017 (Summer);6(3):148-155.
The pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) likely involves genetic and environmental factors, impacting the complex neurodevelopmental and behavioral abnormalities of the disorder. Scientific research studies emerging within the past two decades suggest that immune dysfunction and inflammation have pathogenic influences through different mechanisms, all leading to both a chronic state of low grade inflammation, and alterations in the central nervous system and immune response, respectively. The high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) is an inflammatory marker which has been shown to play a role in inducing and influencing neuroinflammation. Current evidences suggest a possible role in the multiple pathogenic mechanisms of ASD. The aim of this manuscript is to review the major hypothesis for ASD pathogenesis, with specific regards to the immunological ones, and to provide a comprehensive review of the current data about the association between HMGB1 and ASD. A systematic search has been carried out through Medline via Pubmed to identify all original articles published in English, on the basis of the following keywords: « HMGB1 », « autism », « autism spectrum disorder », « neuroinflammation », and « child ».
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8. Friedman DJ, Parrish RG, Fox MH. {{A Review of Global Literature on Using Administrative Data to Estimate Prevalence of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities}}. {J Policy Pract Intellect Disabil};2018 (Mar);15(1):43-62.
As understanding of health deficits among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) increases, concerns grow about how to develop comprehensive, sustainable surveillance systems to reliably monitor the health of this population over time. This study reviews literature from 12 countries in which retrospective administrative data have been used to estimate population-based prevalence of IDD, identifies promising practices in that literature, and discusses the feasibility of applying those promising practices to other countries. Administrative data sources can be used to identify the number of people with IDD (numerators) in the presence of population estimates from which people with IDD are drawn (denominators) for discrete geographic locations. Case ascertainment methods, age groupings, data years captured, and other methods vary, contributing to a wide variation in prevalence rates. Six methods are identified from five countries that appear to offer the greatest likelihood of expanded applications. Approaches in which administrative data collections are linked with other population-based data sources appear promising as a means of estimating the size and characteristics of populations living with IDD in defined geographic locations. They offer the potential for sustainability, timeliness, accuracy, and efficiency.
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9. Grossi E, Migliore L, Muratori F. {{Pregnancy risk factors related to autism: an Italian case-control study in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), their siblings and of typically developing children}}. {J Dev Orig Health Dis};2018 (Apr 23):1-8.
This study, carried out in two Italian Institutions, assesses the frequency of 27 potential autism risk factors related to pregnancy and peri- and postnatal periods by interviewing mothers who had children with autism, children with autism and one or two typically developing siblings, or only typically developing children. The clinical sample included three case groups: 73 children and adolescents with autism (Group A), 35 children and adolescents with autism (Group A1) having 45 siblings (Group B) and 96 typically developing children (Group C) matched for gender and age. Twenty-five out of 27 of risk factors presented a higher frequency in Group A in comparison with Group C and for nine of them a statistically significant difference was found. Twenty-one out of 27 of risk factors presented a higher frequency in Group A in comparison with Group B. A higher prevalence of environmental risk factors was observed in 11 risk factors in the Group A1 in comparison with Group B and for nine of them an odds ratio higher than 1.5 was found. For 13 factors there was a progressive increase in frequency going from Group C, B and A and a statistically higher prevalence of the mean number of stressful events per pregnancy was recorded in Group A when compared with Groups B and C. The results suggest that environmental, incidental phenomena and stressful life events can influence pregnancy outcome in predisposed subjects, pointing out a possible threshold effect in women who are predisposed to have suboptimal pregnancies.
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10. Hyseni F, Blanken LME, Muetzel R, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H, White T. {{Autistic traits and neuropsychological performance in 6- to-10-year-old children: a population-based study}}. {Child Neuropsychol};2018 (Apr 23):1-18.
Clinical studies of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) provide evidence for poorer neuropsychological performance within specific domains compared to age, gender, and sometimes IQ-matched controls. Since recent evidence suggests that autistic symptoms form a spectrum that extends into the general population, it was our goal to evaluate the nature of the relationship between autistic traits and neuropsychological performance across the continuum in the general population. We examined neuropsychological performance across five different domains in 1019 6-to-10-year-old children participating in a population-based study of child development. Autistic traits were assessed when the children were 6 years of age using the Social Responsiveness Scale and ASD diagnoses were obtained via medical records. Neuropsychological functioning was measured using the NEPSY-II-NL and included the domains of attention and executive function, memory and learning, sensorimotor functioning, language, and visuospatial functioning. We found that children with higher autistic traits showed significantly lower neuropsychological performance in all domains investigated and that this association remained even after excluding children with the highest autistic traits or confirmed ASD. When comparing 41 children with confirmed ASD diagnosis to typically developing controls, children with ASD showed significantly lower neuropsychological performance across all domains. Taken together, our results suggest that children with both ASD and subclinical autistic traits have lower neuropsychological performance. Thus, this may provide an understanding of why some children without an ASD diagnosis may require some additional assistance within academic settings.
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11. Isaksson J, Tammimies K, Neufeld J, Cauvet E, Lundin K, Buitelaar JK, Loth E, Murphy DGM, Spooren W, Bolte S. {{EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP): the autism twin cohort}}. {Mol Autism};2018;9:26.
EU-AIMS is the largest European research program aiming to identify stratification biomarkers and novel interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Within the program, the Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) has recruited and comprehensively phenotyped a rare sample of 76 monozygotic and dizygotic twins, discordant, or concordant for ASD plus 30 typically developing twins. The aim of this letter is to complete previous descriptions of the LEAP case-control sample, clinically characterize, and investigate the suitability of the sample for ASD twin-control analyses purposes and share some ‘lessons learnt.’ Among the twins, a diagnosis of ASD is associated with increased symptom levels of ADHD, higher rates of intellectual disability, and lower family income. For the future, we conclude that the LEAP twin cohort offers multiple options for analyses of genetic and shared and non-shared environmental factors to generate new hypotheses for the larger cohort of LEAP singletons, but particularly cross-validate and refine evidence from it.
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12. Kim HW, Park EJ, Kim JH, Boon-Yasidhi V, Tarugsa J, Reyes A, Manalo S, Joung YS. {{Aripiprazole for Irritability in Asian Children and Adolescents with Autistic Disorder: A 12-Week, Multinational, Multicenter, Prospective Open-Label Study}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol};2018 (Apr 24)
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of aripiprazole in the treatment of irritability in Asian children and adolescents (6-17 years) with autistic disorder in a 12-week, multinational, multicenter, open-label study. METHODS: Sixty-seven subjects (10.0 +/- 3.1 years old, 52 boys) were enrolled and treated with flexibly dosed aripiprazole for 12 weeks (mean dose, 5.1 +/- 2.5 mg; range 2-15 mg). RESULTS: Aripiprazole significantly reduced the mean caregiver-rated scores for the Irritability, Lethargy/Social Withdrawal, Stereotypy, Hyperactivity, and Inappropriate Speech subscales of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist from baseline to week 12 (p < 0.001 for all subscales). Clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression Severity of Illness scale score also improved from baseline through week 12 (p < 0.001). The most common adverse event was weight gain and no serious adverse event related to aripiprazole treatment was noted. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that aripiprazole is effective and generally tolerable in the treatment of irritability in Asian children and adolescents with autistic disorder. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer treatment durations are required. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
13. Lassalle A, Zurcher NR, Porro CA, Benuzzi F, Hippolyte L, Lemonnier E, Johnels JA, Hadjikhani N. {{Influence of anxiety and alexithymia on brain activations associated with the perception of others’ pain in autism}}. {Soc Neurosci};2018 (Apr 23)
The circumstances under which empathy is altered in ASD remain unclear, as previous studies did not systematically find differences in brain activation between ASD and controls in empathy-eliciting paradigms, and did not always monitor whether differences were primarily due to ASD « per se », or to conditions overlapping with ASD, such as alexithymia and anxiety. Here, we collected fMRI data from 47 participants (22 ASD) viewing pictures depicting hands and feet of unknown others in painful, disgusting, or neutral situations. We computed brain activity for painful and disgusting stimuli (vs. neutral) in whole brain and in regions of interest among the brain areas typically activated during the perception of nociceptive stimuli. Group differences in brain activation disappeared when either alexithymia or anxiety – both elevated in the ASD group – were controlled for. Regression analyses indicated that the influence of symptoms was mainly shared between autistic symptomatology, alexithymia and anxiety or driven by unique contributions from alexithymia or anxiety. Our results suggest that affective empathy may be affected in ASD, but that this association is complex. The respective contribution of alexithymia and anxiety to decreased affective empathy of people with ASD may be due to the association of those psychiatric conditions with reduced motor resonance/Theory of Mind.
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14. Masarwa R, Levine H, Gorelik E, Reif S, Perlman A, Matok I. {{Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression Analysis of Cohort Studies}}. {Am J Epidemiol};2018 (Apr 24)
Acetaminophen is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic during pregnancy. Evidence of neuro-disruptive properties is accumulating. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring of women exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane up to January 2017. Data were independently extracted and assessed by two researchers. Seven eligible retrospective cohorts included 132,738 mother and child pairs and with a follow-up period of 3-11 years. Pooled risk ratio (RR) for ADHD was (RR=1.32, 95% CI 1.18,1.45, I2=61%), for ASD (RR=1.23, 95% CI1.13,1.32, I2=17%), and for hyperactivity symptoms (RR=1.23, 95% CI 1.01,1.49, I2=94%). In meta-regression analysis, the association between exposure and ADHD increased with childs’ age upon follow-up and with the mean duration of exposure (beta=0.0354, 95% CI 0.001,0.07), (beta=0.006, 95% CI 0.009,0.01). The available data is of observational nature only. Studies differed gravely in exposure and outcome assessment. Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for ADHD, ASD and hyperactivity symptoms. These findings are concerning, however, results should be interpreted with caution as the available evidence consists of observational studies and susceptible to several potential sources of bias.
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15. Mousavinejad E, Ghaffari MA, Riahi F, Hajmohammadi M, Tiznobeyk Z, Mousavinejad M. {{Coenzyme Q10 supplementation reduces oxidative stress and decreases antioxidant enzyme activity in children with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Psychiatry Res};2018 (Apr 4);265:62-69.
Antioxidants and oxidative stress can participate in pathobiochemical mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The aim was to identify the effects of early CoQ10 supplementation on oxidative stress in children with ASDs. Ninety children with ASDs were included in this study, based on DSM-IV criteria and using Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores. Concentrations of CoQ10, MDA, total antioxidant status (TAS) assay, and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase or SOD and glutathione peroxidase or GPx) activity were determined in serum before and after 100 days of supportive therapy with CoQ10 at daily doses of 30 and 60mg. Data on children’s behavior were collected from parents and babysitters. CoQ10 supportive therapy was determined after three months with daily dose 2 30mg improved oxidative stress in the children with ASDs. A relation was seen between serum MDA (r(2)=0.668) and TAS (r(2)=0.007), and antioxidant enzymes (SOD [r(2)=0.01] and GPx [r(2)=0.001]) activity and CARS score. Based on the results, high doses of CoQ10 can improve gastrointestinal problems (P=0.004) and sleep disorders (P=0.005) in children with ASDs with an increase in the CoQ10 of the serum. We concluded that the serum concentration of CoQ10 and oxidative stress could be used as relevant biomarkers in helping the improvement of ASDs.
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16. Ohja K, Gozal E, Fahnestock M, Cai L, Cai J, Freedman JH, Switala A, El-Baz A, Barnes GN. {{Neuroimmunologic and Neurotrophic Interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Relationship to Neuroinflammation}}. {Neuromolecular Med};2018 (Apr 24)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are the most prevalent set of pediatric neurobiological disorders. The etiology of ASD has both genetic and environmental components including possible dysfunction of the immune system. The relationship of the immune system to aberrant neural circuitry output in the form of altered behaviors and communication characterized by ASD is unknown. Dysregulation of neurotrophins such as BDNF and their signaling pathways have been implicated in ASD. While abnormal cortical formation and autistic behaviors in mouse models of immune activation have been described, no one theory has been described to link activation of the immune system to specific brain signaling pathways aberrant in ASD. In this paper we explore the relationship between neurotrophin signaling, the immune system and ASD. To this effect we hypothesize that an interplay of dysregulated immune system, synaptogenic growth factors and their signaling pathways contribute to the development of ASD phenotypes.
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17. Perche O, Felgerolle C, Ardourel M, Bazinet A, Paris A, Rossignol R, Meyer-Dilhet G, Mausset-Bonnefont AL, Hebert B, Laurenceau D, Montecot-Dubourg C, Menuet A, Bizot JC, Pichon J, Ranchon-Cole I, Briault S. {{Early Retinal Defects in Fmr1(-/y) Mice: Toward a Critical Role of Visual Dys-Sensitivity in the Fragile X Syndrome Phenotype?}}. {Front Cell Neurosci};2018;12:96.
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is caused by a deficiency in Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) leading to global sensorial abnormalities, among which visual defects represent a critical part. These visual defects are associated with cerebral neuron immaturity especially in the primary visual cortex. However, we recently demonstrated that retinas of adult Fmr1(-/y) mice, the FXS murine model, present molecular, cellular and functional alterations. However, no data are currently available on the evolution pattern of such defects. As retinal stimulation through Eye Opening (EO) is a crucial signal for the cerebral visual system maturation, we questioned the precocity of molecular and functional retinal phenotype. To answer this question, we studied the retinal molecular phenotype of Fmr1(-/y) mice before EO until adult age and the consequences of the retinal loss of Fmrp on retinal function in young and adult mice. We showed that retinal molecular defects are present before EO and remain stable at adult age, leading to electrophysiological impairments without any underlying structural changes. We underlined that loss of Fmrp leads to a wide range of defects in the retina, settled even before EO. Our work demonstrates a critical role of the sensorial dysfunction in the Fmr1(-/y) mice overall phenotype, and provides evidence that altered peripheral perception is a component of the sensory processing defect in FXS conditions.
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18. Percy AK, Lane J, Annese F, Warren H, Skinner SA, Neul JL. {{When Rett syndrome is due to genes other than MECP2}}. {Transl Sci Rare Dis};2018 (Apr 13);3(1):49-53.
Two individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for Rett syndrome (RTT) but lacking a mutation in MECP2, the gene predominantly associated with this disorder, were provided additional genetic testing. This testing revealed pathogenic mutations in a gene not previously associated with RTT, CTNNB1, mutations in which lead to an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder affecting cell signaling and transcription factors as well as a likely pathogenic mutation in the WDR45 gene, which is associated with developmental delay in early childhood and progressive neurodegeneration in adolescence or adulthood related to iron accumulation in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. These two individuals are described in relation to previous reports linking multiple other genes with RTT failing to show an MECP2 mutation. These individuals underscore the need to pursue additional molecular testing in RTT when a mutation in MECP2 is not detected.
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19. Qin YY, Jian B, Wu C, Jiang CZ, Kang Y, Zhou JX, Yang F, Liang Y. {{A comparison of blood metal levels in autism spectrum disorder and unaffected children in Shenzhen of China and factors involved in bioaccumulation of metals}}. {Environ Sci Pollut Res Int};2018 (Apr 22)
The present study compared blood plasma metals in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with those in unaffected children in Shenzhen (China). Factors associated with the metal bioaccumulation were further investigated. Thirty-four blood samples of children with ASD were collected in a local hospital (Shenzhen Children’s Hospital), while those of 38 unaffected children were from a local large public kindergarten, during March to April in 2016. Metal analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The results showed that children with ASD had higher (P < 0.01, 0.05) Pb (ASD 31.9 mug/L, unaffected children 18.6 mug/L), Hg (3.83, and 1.09 mug/L), and Cd (0.70 and 0.26 mug/L) than unaffected children, while essential elements Zn (ASD 4552.0 mug/L, unaffected children 5118.6 mug/L), Se (61.7 and 90.6 mug/L), and Mn (13.5 and 21.4 mug/L) showed an opposite pattern. Moreover, the children exposed to passive smoking had higher (P < 0.05) Cd (passive smoking 1.08 mug/L; non-passive smoking 0.22 mug/L) than those without the exposure. Positive associations were found between levels of Hg or Pb and seafood consumption as well as body mass index (BMI). More future work is needed in order to clarify the association between metal exposure and ASD occurrence in China. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
20. Rivard K, Protzner AB, Burles F, Schuetze M, Cho I, Ten Eycke K, McCrimmon A, Dewey D, Cortese F, Bray S. {{Largely Typical Electrophysiological Affective Responses to Special Interest Stimuli in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2018 (Apr 21)
Circumscribed interests are a symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that may be related to exaggerated affective neural responses. However, the use of generic ASD-interest image stimuli has left an open question as to whether affective responses towards individual interests are greater in ASD compared to typically developing (TD) controls. We compared amplitudes of the late positive potential (LPP), an affective electroencephalographic response, between adolescents with ASD (N = 19) and TD adolescents (N = 20), using images tailored to individual likes and dislikes. We found an LPP response for liked and disliked images, relative to neutral, with no difference in amplitude between groups. This suggests that the LPP is not atypical in adolescents with ASD towards images of individual interests.
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21. Rosen TE, Mazefsky CA, Vasa RA, Lerner MD. {{Co-occurring psychiatric conditions in autism spectrum disorder}}. {Int Rev Psychiatry};2018 (Apr 23):1-22.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for experiencing one or more co-occurring psychiatric conditions. When present, these conditions are associated with additional impairment and distress. It is therefore crucial that clinicians and researchers adequately understand and address these challenges. However, due to symptom overlap, diagnostic overshadowing, and ambiguous symptom presentation in ASD, the assessment of co-occurring conditions in ASD is complex and challenging. Likewise, individual difference factors, such as age, intellectual functioning, and gender, may influence the presentation of co-occurring symptoms. Relatedly, a transdiagnostic framework may offer utility in assessing and treating co-occurring conditions. However, with the exception of anxiety disorders, treatment research for co-occurring psychiatric conditions in ASD is relatively limited. Therefore, the present paper aims to summarize and review available research on the most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders in ASD, with a focus on estimated population-based prevalence rates, diagnostic challenges, the influence of individual differences, and assessment guidelines. The utility of a transdiagnostic framework for conceptualizing co-occurring disorders in ASD is discussed, and the state of treatment research for co-occurring disorders is summarized. This study concludes with a summary of the extant literature, as well as recommendations for future research.
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22. Sato S. {{Apathy and fatigue in autistic spectrum disorder improved by Japanese herbal medicine; TSUMURA Ninjin’yoeito Extract}}. {Psychiatry Clin Neurosci};2018 (Apr 24)
The Japanese herbal medicine Ninjin’yoeito (NYT) improves fatigue, loss of appetite, and anemia.(1,2,4) Here we report its efficacy for fatigue and apathy in four cases of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). All the patients were given informed consent and were their anonymity preserved.
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23. van Eyk CL, Corbett MA, Gardner A, van Bon BW, Broadbent JL, Harper K, MacLennan AH, Gecz J. {{Analysis of 182 cerebral palsy transcriptomes points to dysregulation of trophic signalling pathways and overlap with autism}}. {Transl Psychiatry};2018 (Apr 23);8(1):88.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability of childhood. It is characterised by permanent, non-progressive but not unchanging problems with movement, posture and motor function, with a highly heterogeneous clinical spectrum and frequent neurodevelopmental comorbidities. The aetiology of CP is poorly understood, despite recent reports of a genetic contribution in some cases. Here we demonstrate transcriptional dysregulation of trophic signalling pathways in patient-derived cell lines from an unselected cohort of 182 CP-affected individuals using both differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We also show that genes differentially expressed in CP, as well as network modules significantly correlated with CP status, are enriched for genes associated with ASD. Combining transcriptome and whole exome sequencing (WES) data for this CP cohort likely resolves an additional 5% of cases separated to the 14% we have previously reported as resolved by WES. Collectively, these results support a convergent molecular abnormality in CP and ASD.
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24. Vargason T, Kruger U, McGuinness DL, Adams JB, Geis E, Gehn E, Coleman D, Hahn J. {{Investigating Plasma Amino Acids for Differentiating Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Peers}}. {Res Autism Spectr Disord};2018 (Jun);50:60-72.
Background: Plasma amino acid measurements have been extensively investigated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results thus far have been inconclusive as studies generally disagree on which amino acids are different in individuals with ASD versus their typically developing (TD) peers, due in part to methodological limitations of several studies. Method: This paper investigates plasma amino acids in children and adults with ASD using data from Arizona State University’s Comprehensive Nutritional and Dietary Intervention Study. Measurements from 64 individuals with ASD and 49 TD controls were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Results: Univariate analysis indicated increased median levels of glutamate (+21%, p=0.014) and serine (+8%, p=0.043), and increased mean levels of hydroxyproline (+17%, p=0.018) for the ASD cohort, although these differences were insignificant after correcting for multiple comparisons. A multivariate approach was used to classify study participants into ASD/TD cohorts using Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA) and its nonlinear extension, kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (KFDA). Model fitting with FDA using all available measurements produced Type I and Type II errors of 27.0% and 27.8%, respectively. KFDA was most effective when using hydroxyproline, leucine, and threonine as inputs; however, leave-one-out cross-validation with this nonlinear model only resulted in 70.3% sensitivity and 77.6% specificity. Conclusions: The finding of elevated glutamate in ASD is in agreement with several other studies. Overall, however, these results suggest that plasma amino acid measurements are of limited use for purposes of ASD classification, which may explain some of the inconsistencies in results presented in the literature.
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25. Welch C, Polatajko H, Rigby P, Fitch M. {{Autism inside out: lessons from the memoirs of three minimally verbal youths}}. {Disabil Rehabil};2018 (Apr 23):1-9.
BACKGROUND: To date, research exploring experiences and perspectives of people who have severe autism and are minimally verbal, has been sparse. OBJECTIVES: To build new understanding based on insider perspectives of people who have severe autism and are minimally verbal. We took interest in how these perspectives support, challenge, or augment current depictions of autism in academic literature. METHOD: Adopting a descriptive qualitative approach, three memoirs written by youths who have severe autism and are minimally verbal were examined using inductive thematic analysis. Analytic methods followed a recursive process of coding, collating, mapping, reviewing, creating clear themes, and then reporting using compelling extracts. RESULTS: Analysis generated an over-arching theme regarding the youths’ concern that the way they are perceived from the outside does not match the people they are on the inside. In explaining this mismatch, the youths identify differences in the way their brains work, as well as difficulty controlling their bodies. CONCLUSIONS: These youths emphasize concepts of embodiment and physical control as central to their experiences of autism. Findings highlight the need for research exploring insider perspective and the development of innovative methods to gain insight into the understanding and interests of people who are minimally verbal. Implications for rehabilitation The development of a communication system (hi-tech or low tech) should be a top priority for intervention when serving clients who have severe autism and are minimally verbal. When working with clients who have severe autism and are minimally verbal, clinicians should be cautious in applying and interpreting assessments of intelligence and understanding, since difficulties with verbal output and movement control can obscure results. To improve information gathering and therapeutic outcomes, clinicians and educators should use varied assessment and intervention techniques, administered across multiple sessions, and environments. Consideration should be given to difficulties with movement initiation and movement inhibition when guiding and interpreting behaviors.
