1. Antshel KM, Zhang-James Y, Wagner K, Ledesma A, Faraone SV. {{An update on the comorbidity of ASD and ADHD: A focus on clinical management}}. {Expert Rev Neurother};2016 (Jan 25)
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly co-occur. With the DSM-5, clinicians are permitted to make an ASD diagnosis in the context of ADHD. In earlier versions of the DSM, this was not acceptable. Both ASD and ADHD are reported to have had substantial increases in prevalence within the past 10 years. As a function of both the increased prevalence of both disorders as well as the ability to make an ASD diagnosis in ADHD, there has been a significant amount of research focusing on the comorbidity between ADHD and ASD in the past few years. Here, we provide an update on the biological, cognitive and behavioral overlap/distinctiveness between the two neurodevelopmental disorders with a focus on data published in the last four years. Treatment strategies for the comorbid condition as well as future areas of research and clinical need are discussed.
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2. Bennett M. {{« What is Life Like in the Twilight Years? » A Letter About the Scant Amount of Literature on the Elderly with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2016 (Jan 25)
The purpose of this letter is to show the lack of published literature on elderly adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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3. Benson PR. {{The Longitudinal Effects of Network Characteristics on the Mental Health of Mothers of Children with ASD: The Mediating Role of Parent Cognitions}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2016 (Jan 25)
Employing a cohort sequential design, the effects of network characteristics on maternal cognitions (perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy) and mental health (depression and well-being) were assessed over 7 years when children with ASD of mothers in the study were age 7-14. Findings indicated that network size, network emotional support, and network instrumental support were positively related to perceived support, while network availability and emotional support were positively linked to self-efficacy. In addition, network support exerted direct and indirect effects on maternal depression and well-being, with cognitive resources mediating the social network-mental health relationship. Finally, consistent with the support-efficacy model, parenting efficacy partially mediated the effects of perceived support on maternal mental health outcomes. Study findings and implications are discussed.
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4. Gogou M, Spilioti M, Tramma D, Papadopoulou-Alataki E, Evangeliou A. {{Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency Presenting as Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Indian J Pediatr};2016 (Jan 25)
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5. Haas K, Costley D, Falkmer M, Richdale A, Sofronoff K, Falkmer T. {{Factors Influencing the Research Participation of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2016 (Jan 25)
Recruiting adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into research poses particular difficulties; longitudinal studies face additional challenges. This paper reports on a mixed methods study to identify factors influencing the participation in longitudinal autism research of adults with ASD, including those with an intellectual disability, and their carers. Common and differentiating factors influencing the research participation of participants are identified and discussed. Factors influencing participation were found to differ both between and within participant categories. We propose a dichotomy whereby factors influencing research participation can be classified as those arising from a participant’s values, which act as either a motivator or a deterrent; and those based on convenience, which act as either an enabler or inhibitor. These findings are applicable to research studies that seek to recruit adults with ASD as participants.
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6. Hanaie R, Mohri I, Kagitani-Shimono K, Tachibana M, Matsuzaki J, Hirata I, Nagatani F, Watanabe Y, Fujita N, Taniike M. {{White matter volume in the brainstem and inferior parietal lobule is related to motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study}}. {Autism Res};2016 (Jan 25)
Many studies have reported poor motor performance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the underlying brain mechanisms remain unclear. Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested that abnormalities of the white matter (WM) are related to the features of ASD. In this study, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate which WM regions correlate with motor performance in children with ASD, and whether the WM volume in those brain regions differed between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The subjects included 19 children with ASD and 20 TD controls. Motor performance was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (M-ABC 2). Children with ASD showed poorer motor performance than did the controls. There was a significant positive correlation between the total test score on the M-ABC 2 and the volume of WM in the brainstem and WM adjacent to the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). In addition, compared with the TD controls, children with ASD had a decreased volume of WM in the brainstem and adjacent to the left intraparietal sulcus, which is close to the SMG. These findings suggest that structural changes in the WM in the brainstem and left inferior parietal lobule may contribute to poor motor performance in children with ASD. Autism Res 2016. (c) 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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7. Liu Z, Li X, Zhang JT, Cai YJ, Cheng TL, Cheng C, Wang Y, Zhang CC, Nie YH, Chen ZF, Bian WJ, Zhang L, Xiao J, Lu B, Zhang YF, Zhang XD, Sang X, Wu JJ, Xu X, Xiong ZQ, Zhang F, Yu X, Gong N, Zhou WH, Sun Q, Qiu Z. {{Autism-like behaviours and germline transmission in transgenic monkeys overexpressing MeCP2}}. {Nature};2016 (Jan 25)
Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) has crucial roles in transcriptional regulation and microRNA processing. Mutations in the MECP2 gene are found in 90% of patients with Rett syndrome, a severe developmental disorder with autistic phenotypes. Duplications of MECP2-containing genomic segments cause the MECP2 duplication syndrome, which shares core symptoms with autism spectrum disorders. Although Mecp2-null mice recapitulate most developmental and behavioural defects seen in patients with Rett syndrome, it has been difficult to identify autism-like behaviours in the mouse model of MeCP2 overexpression. Here we report that lentivirus-based transgenic cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) expressing human MeCP2 in the brain exhibit autism-like behaviours and show germline transmission of the transgene. Expression of the MECP2 transgene was confirmed by western blotting and immunostaining of brain tissues of transgenic monkeys. Genomic integration sites of the transgenes were characterized by a deep-sequencing-based method. As compared to wild-type monkeys, MECP2 transgenic monkeys exhibited a higher frequency of repetitive circular locomotion and increased stress responses, as measured by the threat-related anxiety and defensive test. The transgenic monkeys showed less interaction with wild-type monkeys within the same group, and also a reduced interaction time when paired with other transgenic monkeys in social interaction tests. The cognitive functions of the transgenic monkeys were largely normal in the Wisconsin general test apparatus, although some showed signs of stereotypic cognitive behaviours. Notably, we succeeded in generating five F1 offspring of MECP2 transgenic monkeys by intracytoplasmic sperm injection with sperm from one F0 transgenic monkey, showing germline transmission and Mendelian segregation of several MECP2 transgenes in the F1 progeny. Moreover, F1 transgenic monkeys also showed reduced social interactions when tested in pairs, as compared to wild-type monkeys of similar age. Together, these results indicate the feasibility and reliability of using genetically engineered non-human primates to study brain disorders.
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8. van Boxtel JJ, Dapretto M, Lu H. {{Intact recognition, but attenuated adaptation, for biological motion in youth with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism Res};2016 (Jan 25)
Given the ecological importance of biological motion and its relevance to social cognition, considerable effort has been devoted over the past decade to studying biological motion perception in autism. However, previous studies have asked observers to detect or recognize briefly presented human actions placed in isolation, without spatial or temporal context. Research on typical populations has shown the influence of temporal context in biological motion perception: prolonged exposure to one action gives rise to an aftereffect that biases perception of a subsequently displayed action. Whether people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show such adaptation effects for biological motion stimuli remains unknown. To address this question, this study examined how well youth with ASD recognize ambiguous actions and adapt to recently-observed actions. Compared to typically-developing (TD) controls, youth with ASD showed no differences in perceptual boundaries between actions categories, indicating intact ability in recognizing actions. However, children with ASD showed weakened adaptation to biological motion. It is unlikely that the reduced action adaptability in autism was due to delayed developmental trajectory, as older children with ASD showed weaker adaptation to actions than younger children with ASD. Our results further suggest that high-level (i.e., action) processing weakens with age for children with ASD, but this change may be accompanied by a potentially compensatory mechanism based on more involvement of low-level (i.e., motion) processing. Autism Res 2016. (c) 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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9. Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M, Hiraishi H, Hasegawa C, Takahashi T, Remijn GB, Oi M, Munesue T, Higashida H, Minabe Y, Kojima H. {{Atypical development of the central auditory system in young children with Autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism Res};2016 (Jan 25)
The P1m component of the auditory evoked magnetic field is the earliest cortical response associated with language acquisition. However, the growth curve of the P1m component is unknown in both typically developing (TD) and atypically developing children. The aim of this study is to clarify the developmental pattern of this component when evoked by binaural human voice stimulation using child-customized magnetoencephalography. A total of 35 young TD children (32-121 months of age) and 35 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (38-111 months of age) participated in this study. This is the first report to demonstrate an inverted U-shaped growth curve for the P1m dipole intensity in the left hemisphere in TD children. In addition, our results revealed a more diversified age-related distribution of auditory brain responses in 3- to 9-year-old children with ASD. These results demonstrate the diversified growth curve of the P1m component in ASD during young childhood, which is a crucial period for first language acquisition. Autism Res 2016. (c) 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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10. Julien HM, Reichle J. {{A Comparison of High and Low Dosages of a Component of Milieu Teaching Strategies for Two Preschool-Age Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch};2016 (Jan 22):1-12.
Purpose: The intersection of treatment intensity and communication intervention is an emerging area of investigation. Milieu teaching (MT) approaches for teaching communication skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a substantial evidence base (see Goldstein, 2002). However, a relatively small percentage (37.8%) of MT studies have fully detailed the parameters that are required to determine treatment intensity (Parker-McGowan et al., 2014). This study compared the effect of two dosages of the modeling component of milieu teaching on acquisition and maintenance of new vocabulary for two preschoolers with ASD. Method: Low- and high-dosage conditions were compared within an adapted alternating treatments design. Participants were two preschool-age children with ASD. Results: Results suggested a functional relationship between dose of MT models and acquisition of vocabulary items. For 1 participant, a high-dose application yielded more efficient acquisition. For the second participant, a low-dose application yielded more efficient acquisition. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the influence of individual differences in ostensibly similar persons and response to intervention. The need for better quantifying dosage parameters and examining the relationship between dosage and intervention approaches for preschool-age learners with ASD is discussed.
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11. Srinivasan SM, Bhat AN. {{Differences in object sharing between infants at risk for autism and typically developing infants from 9 to 15 months of age}}. {Infant Behav Dev};2016 (Jan 21);42:128-141.
Object sharing abilities of infants at risk for autism (AR infants) and typically developing (TD) infants were compared from 9 to 15 months of age. Specifically, we examined the effects of infants’ locomotor abilities on their object sharing skills. 16 TD infants and 16 AR infants were observed during an « object sharing » paradigm at crawling and walking ages. Overall, AR walking infants demonstrated lower rates of object sharing with caregivers compared to TD walking infants. Specifically, AR walking infants had lower rates of giving and approaches toward caregivers compared to TD walking infants. AR walking infants also had lower step rates toward task-appropriate targets, i.e. caregivers and objects compared to TD walking infants. No group differences in object sharing were observed at crawling ages. Object sharing could be a valuable context for early identification of delays in infants at risk for developing Autism spectrum disorder.
