1. Al Imran M, Islam MS, Hossain MS, Pardhan S, Bari N, Zeba Z. Knowledge and practice among caregivers having children with autism in Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes;2025 (Feb 24);18(1):82.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a term used to describe a group of conditions characterized by difficulties with social skills, speech, repetitive behaviors, and nonverbal communication. There is no cure for autism, however, early diagnosis and intervention can increase the chance of treatment success. If parents or caregivers do not have sound knowledge about autism, problems can become more complicated. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice among caregivers having children with ASD in Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 68 caregivers of children with ASD in the selected area of Mymensingh city, Bangladesh. The data were collected from May to June 2021 through face-to-face interviews by a semi-structured questionnaire including informed consent, socio-demographics, as well as questions regarding knowledge (12-item) and practice (6-item) towards children with ASD using a purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 25.0). RESULTS: The mean score of knowledge among caregivers having children with ASD was 7.16 (SD = 2.09) out of 12 (59.67%). The mean score of practice among caregivers having children with ASD was 3.16 (SD = 1.10) out of 6 (52.67%). There were no significant mean differences in the mean knowledge and practice scores among participants’ different socio-demographic categories. 95.6% of caregivers have not received any formal training to care for children with ASD, and more than half (57.4%) believed that mixing with good friends would make the necessary change in children with ASD. 97.1% of the children with ASD did not have any health insurance with 72.1% receiving government allowance for ASD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated inadequate knowledge and practice among caregivers of children with ASD. The study suggests an immediate health education program is needed, as well as appropriate practice for children with ASD in Bangladesh.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

2. Bayoumi SC, Halkett A, Miller M, Hinshaw SP. Food selectivity and eating difficulties in adults with autism and/or ADHD. Autism;2025 (Feb 25):13623613251314223.

Some people do not like many foods, eat very quickly or slowly, or eat too much or too little. These problems are more common in children with autism or ADHD and may continue for a long time, but we do not know much about these problems in adults. Our goal was to understand how eating difficulties are similar and different in adults with autism, ADHD, both autism/ADHD, and neither condition. We also wanted to understand factors that relate to picky eating and overall eating difficulties. We found that autistic adults had the most problems with eating compared to all other groups. Adults with ADHD had more eating problems than adults with neither condition. Adults with autism and/or ADHD were more sensitive to taste and texture of foods, had difficulty with spilling food, and found it hard to tell whether they are hungry or full compared to people without these conditions. We also found that autism and ADHD traits were linked to picky eating and having more eating problems. The results show that many autistic adults and some with ADHD might need support with eating. Doctors should pay attention to eating problems to help people get the care they need. Results also show that wanting things to stay the same may be more related to eating problems than researchers previously thought. We need more research to understand how to support adults with eating difficulties.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

3. Canada K, Evans TM, Pelphrey K. Microbiome’s Effect on White Matter in Autism. J Neurophysiol;2025 (Feb 25)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behavioral patterns. While other physiological presentations in individuals with ASD are heterogeneous, neuroimaging studies have consistently revealed a developmental pattern of initial white matter hypermyelination followed by reduced myelination compared to typically developing peers. Multiple studies have demonstrated that core ASD symptoms, including impairments in social skills, language acquisition, learning capabilities, motor performance, and sensory processing, correlate significantly with white matter dysregulation measured through diffusion tensor imaging. Longitudinal studies have shown that decreased gut microbiome diversity, particularly reductions in beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, correlates with symptom severity. Emerging mechanistic evidence suggests bidirectional relationships between microbiome composition and white matter development, both directly through metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that regulate oligodendrocyte function and subsequent myelination, and indirectly through modulation of neuroinflammatory pathways. By integrating molecular-level gut physiology findings with macro-level brain imaging data, we may identify novel therapeutic approaches targeting the gut-brain axis in ASD management.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

4. Charlier L, Cordeiro L, Cavalcante Neto JL, Signini É F, Barbosa-Silva J, Corbellini C, Lipka A, de Abreu RM. Effects of Physical Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel);2025 (Feb 18);13(4)

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. Although physical exercise (PE) has emerged in the literature as an important modulator for reducing such risk, evidence remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effects of PE on cardiometabolic health in individuals with ASD. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines, from their inception until 18 July 2023, in the following electronic databases: Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science. Studies were included if they focused on ASD patients undergoing physical exercise, assessing cardiometabolic risk, exercise tolerance, and QoL. The following were excluded: non-exercise interventions, additional therapies, non-English studies, and reviews. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed through the Downs and Black scale. RESULTS: A total of four studies (149 participants) were included in this review, with the average methodological quality being rated as « fair ». Interventions had mixed effects on cardiometabolic health. The BMI (↓2.8 kg/m(2)), waist circumference (↓1.86 cm), and lipid profiles improved in some cases. VO(2)max and HR(baseline) showed moderate gains. Secondary outcomes included enhanced endurance, strength, and calorie expenditure, especially in mild ASD. Autistic traits and quality of life improved post-intervention, with better results in the experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: This review indicates that aerobic and functional training improves cardiometabolic health, autistic traits, and QoL in individuals with ASD, particularly in mild cases. Further research is needed to explore the impact of ASD severity on these outcomes.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

5. Cusano JL, Erwin V, Miller D, Rothman EF. The transition to menopause for autistic individuals in the US: a qualitative study of health care challenges and support needs. Menopause;2025 (Feb 25)

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the current study was to better understand autistic people’s experiences with the menopause transition, by focusing on their symptoms, healthcare interactions, and receipt of informal support. METHODS: This was a qualitative research study. We conducted one-on-one videotelephone interviews with 21 autistic adults who had experienced, or were currently experiencing, perimenopause in the United States. Data were coded by two independent coders. We used a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: The analysts derived several overarching themes related to perimenopausal symptoms, barriers to healthcare, and informal support networks. Participants reported increased sensory sensitivities during perimenopause and reported that these severely impacted their quality of life. These sensory sensitivities also compounded vasomotor symptoms of perimenopause causing an extreme and overwhelming confluence of symptoms and difficulties. Despite this, many participants felt that their healthcare providers supported them insufficiently. Participants felt unprepared for the intensification of sensory sensitivities during the menopause transition due to a lack of information about perimenopause from healthcare providers and because their social support network members lacked information about perimenopause. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic people face unique challenges during the menopause transition, which may include managing sensory sensitivities and navigating healthcare systems. Results highlight the need for education about menopause earlier in life for autistic people. Findings further demonstrate the need for holistic approaches to perimenopausal symptom management and better training for providers on the unique needs of perimenopausal autistic people.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

6. Czekóová K, Mareček R, Staněk R, Hartley C, Kessler K, Hlavatá P, Ošlejšková H, Brázdil M, Shaw DJ. Altered Patterns of Dynamic Functional Connectivity Underpin Reduced Expressions of Social-Emotional Reciprocity in Autistic Adults. Autism Res;2025 (Feb 24)

To identify the neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning the social difficulties that characterize autism, we performed functional magnetic resonance imaging on pairs of autistic and non-autistic adults simultaneously whilst they interacted with one another on the iterated Ultimatum Game (iUG)-an interactive task that emulates the reciprocal characteristic of naturalistic interpersonal exchanges. Two age-matched sets of male-male dyads were investigated: 16 comprised an autistic Responder and a non-autistic Proposer, and 19 comprised non-autistic pairs of Responder and Proposer. Players’ round-by-round behavior on the iUG was modeled as reciprocal choices, and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) was measured to identify the neural mechanisms underpinning reciprocal behaviors. Behavioral expressions of reciprocity were significantly reduced in autistic compared with non-autistic Responders, yet no such differences were observed between the non-autistic Proposers in either set of dyads. Furthermore, we identified latent dFC states with temporal properties associated with reciprocity. Autistic interactants spent less time in brain states characterized by dynamic inter-network integration and segregation among the Default Mode Network and cognitive control networks, suggesting that their reduced expressions of social-emotional reciprocity reflect less efficient reconfigurations among brain networks supporting flexible cognition and behavior. These findings advance our mechanistic understanding of the social difficulties characterizing autism.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

7. Dede AJO, Xiao W, Vaci N, Cohen MX, Milne E. Exploring EEG resting state differences in autism: sparse findings from a large cohort. Mol Autism;2025 (Feb 24);16(1):13.

BACKGROUND: Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, the precise neurobiological underpinnings of which remain elusive. Here, we focus on group differences in resting state EEG (rsEEG). Although many previous reports have pointed to differences between autistic and neurotypical participants in rsEEG, results have failed to replicate, sample sizes have typically been small, and only a small number of variables are reported in each study. METHODS: Here, we combined five datasets to create a large sample of autistic and neurotypical individuals (n = 776) and extracted 726 variables from each participant’s data. We computed effect sizes and split-half replication rate for group differences between autistic and neurotypical individuals for each EEG variable while accounting for age, sex and IQ. Bootstrapping analysis with different sample sizes was done to establish how effect size and replicability varied with sample size. RESULTS: Despite the broad and exploratory approach, very few EEG measures varied with autism diagnosis, and when larger effects were found, the majority were not replicable under split-half testing. In the bootstrap analysis, smaller sample sizes were associated with larger effect sizes but lower replication rates. LIMITATIONS: Although we extracted a comprehensive set of EEG signal components from the data, there is the possibility that measures more sensitive to group differences may exist outside the set that we tested. The combination of data from different laboratories may have obscured group differences. However, our harmonisation process was sufficient to reveal several expected maturational changes in the EEG (e.g. delta power reduction with age), providing reassurance regarding both the integrity of the data and the validity of our data-handling and analysis approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data do not produce compelling evidence for a clear neurobiological signature that can be identified in autism. Instead, our results are consistent with heterogeneity in autism, and caution against studies that use autism diagnosis alone as a method to categorise complex and varied neurobiological profiles.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

8. Efthimiou TN, Wilks CE, Foster S, Dodd M, Sasson NJ, Ropar D, Lages M, Fletcher-Watson S, Crompton CJ. Social motor synchrony and interactive rapport in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed-neurotype dyads. Autism;2025 (Feb 24):13623613251319585.

During social interactions, people often mirror each other’s movements and gestures, a process called synchrony. This synchrony helps foster a sense of connection, understanding, and ease in communication. While research suggests that autistic people may show less synchrony in their movements compared to non-autistic people, the implications of this difference for building rapport remain unclear. Specifically, it is unknown whether synchrony plays a similar role in rapport-building for autistic individuals as it does for non-autistic individuals, particularly in interactions with autistic versus non-autistic partners. This study had three goals to investigate whether synchrony is lower in conversations involving at least one autistic person; to explore the relationship between synchrony and rapport; and to compare how much autistic and non-autistic people rely on synchrony to feel connected. The findings suggest that while synchrony positively influences rapport more strongly in non-autistic interactions, autistic individuals may rely less on synchrony for rapport. These results highlight differences in how social connection is built, offering deeper insight into social interactions for autistic and non-autistic people.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

9. Gu Y, Maria-Stauffer E, Bedford SA, Romero-Garcia R, Grove J, Børglum AD, Martin H, Baron-Cohen S, Bethlehem RAI, Warrier V. Polygenic scores for autism are associated with reduced neurite density in adults and children from the general population. Mol Psychiatry;2025 (Feb 24)

Genetic variants linked to autism are thought to change cognition and behaviour by altering the structure and function of the brain. Although a substantial body of literature has identified structural brain differences in autism, it is unknown whether autism-associated common genetic variants are linked to changes in cortical macro- and micro-structure. We investigated this using neuroimaging and genetic data from adults (UK Biobank, N = 31,748) and children (ABCD, N = 4928). Using polygenic scores and genetic correlations we observe a robust negative association between common variants for autism and a magnetic resonance imaging derived phenotype for neurite density (intracellular volume fraction) in the general population. This result is consistent across both children and adults, in both the cortex and in white matter tracts, and confirmed using polygenic scores and genetic correlations. There were no sex differences in this association. Mendelian randomisation analyses provide no evidence for a causal relationship between autism and intracellular volume fraction, although this should be revisited using better powered instruments. Overall, this study provides evidence for shared common variant genetics between autism and cortical neurite density.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

10. Kosić R, Petrić D, Vlašić-Cicvarić I, Kosec T. Associations Between Parental Alexithymia and Family Dynamics in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Healthcare (Basel);2025 (Feb 10);13(4)

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alexithymia is a condition marked by difficulties in identifying and expressing emotions, rooted in both physiological and behavioral mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental alexithymia and family functioning in families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to families of typically developing children (TD). METHODS: The study sample included parents of children with ASD (n = 120) and a control group of parents of typically developing children (n = 120). A comprehensive set of self-report instruments was used to evaluate alexithymia levels, parental stress, family experience, resilience, cognitive emotion regulation, social support, and family flexibility and cohesion. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that parental alexithymia in families of children with ASD was directly associated with lower levels of family flexibility and cohesion, independent of increased stress or reduced family resilience. Furthermore, the findings indicate that alexithymia in parents is directly linked to reduced family cohesion in ASD families. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the significant role of parental alexithymia in shaping family dynamics and underscore the necessity for targeted interventions that emphasize emotional skill-building, adaptive coping mechanisms, and resilience to stressful events. This research enhances the understanding of parental alexithymia’s effect on family functioning in the context of ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

11. Lazzaro G, Passarini S, Battisti A, Costanzo F, Garone G, Mercier M, D’Aiello B, De Rossi P, Valeri G, Guerrera S, Casula L, Menghini D, Vicari S, Fucà E. Understanding and targeting repetitive behaviors and restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder via high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation: a study-protocol. BMC Psychiatry;2025 (Feb 25);25(1):170.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social interaction and repetitive behaviors (RBs). Therapies specifically targeting RBs have been underexplored despite advances in understanding their neurobiological basis. This study aims to evaluate whether high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) can reduce dysfunctional RBs in autistic children and investigate whether improvements differ between lower-order and higher-order RBs based on the brain regions stimulated. METHODS: The study entails a multi-session, sham-controlled, site-controlled, double-blind, and between-subjects design. The study will include participants with an ASD diagnosis (aged 8-13 years; IQ ≥ 70), who will undergo the HD-tDCS intervention for 10 sessions. Participants will be randomly assigned to three conditions: (1) Pre-Motor Active Group (active HD-tDCS over pre-SMA cortex); (2) Frontal Active Group (active HD-tDCS over dlPFC); (3) Placebo Control Group. In the active HD-tDCS conditions, the current will be delivered through a 4 × 1 montage; small circular electrodes will be used with the cathode placed centrally with a current intensity of 0.5 mA for a total of 20 min (30 s ramp up/down) per session. Participants during the sham condition will undergo the same procedures as those in the both active conditions actual placement of electrodes, and turning on the HD-tDCS equipment (30 s). The assessment will be completed at baseline (T0), immediately after the end of the intervention (T1) and 3 months after the end of the intervention (T2). The primary outcome measure will be the Total Score of the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. The secondary outcomes measures will comprise ASD symptoms, sensory processing pattern, emotional/behavioral problems, sleep functioning, parental stress, neuropsychological features and High-Density EEG connectivity. We hypothesize that active HD-tDCS will lead to significant reduction in the total score of the primary outcome compared to Sham Group, with site-specific effects on lower-order and higher-order RBs. DISCUSSION: HD-tDCS is an easy-to-deliver, time-efficient, neurobiologically-driven intervention that could be performed as add-on to reduce the time of conventional therapy for ASD. Given the inherent limitations of specific interventions for RBs, tDCS represents an important « third » treatment arm to address the burden of interventions for ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION DETAILS: The trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT06645587). Registered 17 October 2024.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

12. Libster N, Adams R, Bishop S, Zheng S, Taylor JL. Satisfaction with friendship support protects autistic youth from the negative effects of peer victimization. Autism;2025 (Feb 25):13623613251322923.

Autistic youth are more likely to be bullied than youth who are not on the autism spectrum. Youth in the general population who are bullied experience poor mental health, but those who are satisfied with their friendships may be protected from these negative outcomes. No studies have looked at how friendships affect the mental health of autistic youth who are bullied by their peers. Autistic youth completed questionnaires that asked them to report how frequently they were bullied, whether they were satisfied with the support they received from friends, and depressive symptoms they experienced. Depressive symptoms did not differ between youth who were more satisfied and youth who were less satisfied with their friendship support. However, among youth who were frequently bullied, depressive symptoms were lower for those who were more satisfied with their friendship support compared to those who were less satisfied with their friendship support. This study shows that interventions are needed to support the mental health of autistic youth by decreasing bullying by peers and increasing positive peer relationships.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

13. Maciver D, Roy AS, Johnston L, Boilson M, Curnow E, Johnstone-Cooke V, Rutherford M. Waiting Times and Influencing Factors in Children and Adults Undergoing Assessment for Autism, ADHD, and Other Neurodevelopmental Differences. Autism Res;2025 (Feb 24)

This study explored waiting times and the factors influencing them in child and adult populations undergoing assessment for autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences. The analysis focused on a retrospective review of 408 cases with assessments completed between October 2021 and May 2022, conducted by 30 diagnosing teams in Scotland. Data included age, final diagnosis, demographics, medical and developmental history, contact frequency, and assessment service adherence to best-practice standards. Waiting times were calculated, and relationships were analyzed using linear regression. Median waiting times were 525 days (IQR 329-857) for children/adolescents and 252 days (IQR 106-611) for adults. Only 20% of children’s and 47% of adult assessments met the proposed 252-day diagnostic time target. Autism and ADHD were the most common diagnoses. Receiving > 1 neurodevelopmental diagnosis on completion was uncommon. Demographic factors did not significantly affect waiting times. Children/adolescents with more complex developmental and medical histories experienced longer waits (100.3 weeks vs. 67.7 weeks; p < 0.001), while adults with similar histories had shorter waits (32.7 weeks vs. 57.4 weeks; p = 0.016). Adults with ADHD experienced longer waits than autistic adults (63.4 weeks vs. 38.6 weeks, p = 0.002). Adherence to best-practice quality standards was associated with shorter waits for children (β = 0.27, p = 0.002), but the relationship between standard adherence at different stages and for adults was less clear. More frequent appointments correlated with shorter adult waits (33.7 weeks vs. 59.2 weeks, p = 0.015). Gender distribution was balanced among adults, but children's services included more boys. The study highlights long waits and the need for improvement in processes.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

14. Mathur M, Li R, McKay S, Markham C, Ernest DK, Sharma S. Associations Between Sociodemographic Predictors and Age of Referral for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Diagnosis Since the Beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities;2025 (Feb 24)

PURPOSE: Sociodemographic characteristics, such as race and ethnicity, are associated with delays in ASD diagnosis. However, limited literature has examined the characteristics associated with delayed diagnosis since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the individual and aggregate sociodemographic characteristics associated with the age at which a child receives a referral for a diagnosis (from March 2020 to May 2023) and evaluate the impacts of the pandemic on this association. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data obtained from patients’ electronic health records and the U.S. Census Bureau, we examined associations using linear regressions (N = 507). A subgroup analysis was conducted comparing two pandemic-related time frame phases: acute (March 2020-December 2021) and endemic (January 2022-May 2023). RESULTS: The mean age of referral was 37.3 months; 83.2% were Medicaid recipients, 42.6% were Latino/Hispanic, and 29.8% were Black non-Hispanic. Children were referred for an evaluation at an older age during the acute phase compared to the endemic phase (40.4 vs. 35.4 months). There were no significant associations between race and ethnicity and age of referral. Population educational attainment was negatively associated with the age of referral (p < 0.05). The subgroup analysis showed a positive association between median population income and age of referral during the endemic phase (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Referrals to receive a diagnosis occur later than the screening recommendations. Future work should focus on developing health system-wide practices, particularly among health systems serving large proportions of underserved populations, targeting early referrals for an evaluation to receive an ASD diagnosis.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

15. Meng Y, Hu Y, Xue Y, Zhen Z. Metabolomic Profiling of the Striatum in Shank3 Knockout ASD Rats: Effects of Early Swimming Regulation. Metabolites;2025 (Feb 16);15(2)

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory impact of early swimming intervention on striatal metabolism in Shank3 gene knockout ASD model rats. Methods:Shank3 gene knockout exon 11-21 male 8-day-old SD rats were used as experimental subjects and randomly divided into the following three groups: a Shank3 knockout control group (KC), a wild-type control group (WC) from the same litter, and a Shank3 knockout swimming group (KS). The rats in the exercise group received early swimming intervention for 8 weeks starting at 8 days old. LC-MS metabolism was employed to detect the changes in metabolites in the striatum. Results: There were 17 differential metabolites (14 down-regulated) between the KC and WC groups, 19 differential metabolites (18 up-regulated) between the KS and KC groups, and 22 differential metabolites (18 up-regulated) between the KS and WC groups. Conclusions: The metabolism of striatum in Shank3 knockout ASD model rats is disrupted, involving metabolites related to synaptic morphology, and the Glu and GABAergic synapses are abnormal. Early swimming intervention regulated the striatal metabolome group of the ASD model rats, with differential metabolites primarily related to nerve development, synaptic membrane structure, and synaptic signal transduction.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

16. Ramani R, Fatima B, Hussain A, Shahid U, Kamani A, Bakar SMA, Naveed H, Naveed T, Aftab SA, Abbasi AZ. The clinical interface of tuberous sclerosis complex and autism spectrum disorder: insights and future directions. Neurol Sci;2025 (Feb 25)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a hereditary disorder that leads to tumor growth in various organs. Manifestations from mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes comprise seizures, developmental delay, and skin abnormalities. This literature search has been dedicated to emphasizing the critical role of early diagnosis and the formulation of individualized plans for this target population with co-occurring TSC and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: Behavioral and developmental tests can evaluate ASD symptoms; neuroimaging methods like functional MRI and PET scans can identify brain abnormalities, and molecular genetic analysis can detect TSC1/TSC2 mutations. Differential Diagnostic Approach These include medical histories and physical examinations to consider that ASD and TSC present the same symptoms. RESULTS: Although 90% of TSC patients are reported to have TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, 30-50% of patients fulfil the clinical criteria of ASD. In comparison, the estimate for the rate of ASD prevalence in TSC patients ranges from 17 to 63%, with the characteristics of infantile spasms and early-onset epilepsy. The diagnosis is further challenged by the fact that there are shared symptoms between both, namely seizures and intellectual impairment. CONCLUSION: The shared symptoms between TSC and ASD suggest the need for multidisciplinary approaches in both diagnosis and treatment. A personalized therapeutic plan should include behavioral therapy, medication with Everolimus, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, and advanced neuroimaging. The future of research in biomarkers, molecular medicines, and improving diagnostic protocols holds great promise for optimizing patient care and treatment options.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

17. Sánchez-Pedroche A, Aguilar-Mediavilla E, Valera-Pozo M, Adrover-Roig D, Valverde-Gómez M. A preliminary study on the relationship between symptom severity and age of diagnosis in females versus males with autistic spectrum disorder. Front Psychol;2025;16:1472646.

In the latest autism observation, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more frequently diagnosed in males than in females. Efforts have been made in recent years to detect specific clinical patterns in females, improving their detection and diagnosis. Despite advancements, there are still challenges in detecting ASD in females. This preliminary study explores whether the age at the time of diagnosis of ASD in females is related to a higher severity index compared to male participants. A total of 202 participants (52 females; M = 5.51) in Spain underwent ADOS-2 assessment for ASD clinical severity. The results indicate a significant inverse association between the severity index and the age of diagnosis, which was independent of sex. Despite this, the present results revealed that the age at diagnosis was higher in females compared to males. Further analyses also revealed a tendency toward higher severity levels in females. Factors contributing to this difference in the age of diagnosis of ASD between females and males are discussed concerning the presumed differential characteristics of ASD in females.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

18. Vigil-Pérez A, Blázquez A, Garcia-Delgar B, Ortiz AE, Borràs R, Morer A, Escalona R, Lázaro L. Phenomenology of repetitive and restrictive behaviors and sensory phenomena in neurodevelopmental disorders: an exploratory study. BMC Psychiatry;2025 (Feb 24);25(1):163.

BACKGROUND: Repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRB) include simple motor stereotypes, tics and complex ritualized and rigid behaviors that are core symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome (TS) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sensory phenomena (SP) are uncomfortable feelings, including bodily sensations, sense of inner tension, « just-right » perceptions, feelings of incompleteness, or « urge-only » phenomena, which have been described to precede, trigger, or accompany RRB. In such clinical contexts RRB and SP may be considered common variables that affect multiple aspects of daily functioning and are treatment targets. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to further understand RRB and SP phenomenology in children and adolescents diagnosed with OCD, TS or ASD and identify whether specific RRB or SP can distinguish these groups. METHODS: We assessed RRB and SP in participants aged between 6 and 17 with a main diagnosis of OCD (n = 23), TS (n = 19), or ASD (n = 21) with the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) and The University of Sao Paulo-Sensory Phenomena Scale (USP-SPS). RESULTS: The RBS-R mean was 17.3 ± 14.9 with no group differences for total RBS-R symptom severity, except for the routine subscale (OCD > ASD, p = 0.03). Ninety percent of participants showed at least one type of SP on the USP-SPS with a mean total severity of 5.3 ± 3.8, with no statistical differences between groups. The most frequent SP subtype was physical sensations (68.4%). CONCLUSION: RRB and SP are transdiagnostic features in neurodevelopmental disorders and the RBS-R and the USP-SPS might be useful in their assessment and treatment plan.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

19. Wang H, Xu J, Zhao P, Jin Y, An Y, Han ZR, Hu X. Spillover of Daily Parenting Experiences Into Interparental Relationships in Chinese Families of Children With Autism: Mediated by Daily Affect and Moderated by Trait Mindfulness. Fam Process;2025 (Mar);64(1):e70016.

Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be stressful for parents, posing unique challenges not only in their relationships with the child but also in their relationships with each other. The present study examined the daily spillover of parenting experiences (i.e., child-related stress and parent-child conflict) into interparental relationships (i.e., marital conflict and satisfaction). We also explored whether daily positive and negative affect mediated these spillover effects and whether parental trait mindfulness moderated them. Seventy-three Chinese parents (55 mothers) of children with autism completed a baseline survey and daily diaries for 14 consecutive days. Results revealed that on days with elevated child-related stress and parent-child conflict, parents reported increased marital conflict and decreased marital satisfaction on the same day (but not the next day). Furthermore, the same-day spillover processes were fully or partially mediated by daily negative affect. Importantly, parental trait mindfulness acted as a buffer against the adverse effects of daily parent-child conflict on parents’ negative affect. The findings provide valuable insights for intervention strategies aimed at enhancing interparental relationships during stressful parenting days and underscore the importance of mitigating negative affect and cultivating trait mindfulness to alleviate this spillover process.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

20. Wu Y, Lu C, Li M, Li B, Shang X, Jian G, Zhang Q, Chen X, Cao X, He B, Wang J, Liu H, Chen H. Atypical Developmental Patterns of Sensorimotor-Related Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A BrainAGE Study Based on Resting-State fMRI. Autism Res;2025 (Feb 25)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by atypical brain development. Previous whole-brain BrainAGE studies have unveiled the presence of accelerated or delayed brain function developmental patterns in individuals with ASD. However, it remains unclear whether these patterns manifest at a global level throughout the entire brain or are specific to certain functional sub-networks. The study included resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 127 individuals with ASD and 135 healthy controls (aged between 5 and 40 years). ALFF maps were measured for each participant. Then, sub-network-level BrainAGE analyses were conducted across 10 sub-networks using the Individual-weighted Multilayer Perceptron Network (ILWMLP) regression method. The BrainAGE analyses revealed atypical developmental trajectories in sensorimotor-related sub-networks, encompassing auditory, motor, and sensorimotor sub-networks. In individuals with ASD, delayed brain function development was observed in the auditory and sensorimotor networks, with a more pronounced delay observed in older individuals. Conversely, the motor network exhibited accelerated development in younger individuals but delayed development in older individuals. Our findings unveiled aberrant developmental patterns in sensorimotor-related sub-networks among individuals with ASD, exhibiting distinct atypical profiles across different sub-networks. These results might contribute to a deeper understanding of the deviant brain development observed in ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

21. Ye B, Xue R, Xu H. ASD-YOLO: a lightweight network for coffee fruit ripening detection in complex scenarios. Front Plant Sci;2025;16:1484784.

Coffee is one of the most popular and widely used drinks worldwide. At present, how to judge the maturity of coffee fruit mainly depends on the visual inspection of human eyes, which is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, the occlusion between leaves and fruits is also one of the challenges. In order to improve the detection efficiency of coffee fruit maturity, this paper proposes an improved detection method based on YOLOV7 to efficiently identify the maturity of coffee fruits, called ASD-YOLO. Firstly, a new dot product attention mechanism (L-Norm Attention) is designed to embed attention into the head structure, which enhances the ability of the model to extract coffee fruit features. In addition, we introduce SPD-Conv into backbone and head to enhance the detection of occluded small objects and low-resolution images. Finally, we replaced upsampling in our model with DySample, which requires less computational resources and is able to achieve image resolution improvements without additional burden. We tested our approach on the coffee dataset provided by Roboflow. The results show that ASD-YOLO has a good detection ability for coffee fruits with dense distribution and mutual occlusion under complex background, with a recall rate of 78.4%, a precision rate of 69.8%, and a mAP rate of 80.1%. Compared with the recall rate, accuracy rate and mAP of YOLOv7 model, these results are increased by 2.0%, 1.1% and 2.1%, respectively. The enhanced model can identify coffee fruits at all stages more efficiently and accurately, and provide technical reference for intelligent coffee fruit harvesting.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

22. Yeğiner Dinçer B, Aran OT, Şahin S. Validity, reliability and Turkish adaptation of Preschool Activity Card Sort in autism spectrum disorder. Child Neuropsychol;2025 (Feb 25):1-14.

PURPOSE: The Preschool Activity Ranking (PACS) is a tool that measures preschool children’s activity participation by focusing on the frequency and extent of their participation. This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS) by conducting a Turkish cultural adaptation of the scale in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: This study was conducted with a prospective cross-sectional study design. Participants included parents of 70 children with ASD (study group) and 27 typically developing children (control group) aged between 3 and 6 years old. Validity was analyzed using construct validity, while reliability was examined through internal consistency and test-retest methods. RESULTS: Results showed that the control group scored significantly higher than the study group in all sub-scales of the PACS (p < 0.01). Additionally, a statistically significant correlation was found between the PACS and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in all sub-domains except for the household chores sub-domain. The PACS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha's = 0.94) and excellent time invariance ICC coefficients for the self-care, social mobility, leisure time (low physical requirement), social interaction, housework, and education sub-domains. For the leisure time (high physical requirement) subdomain, the PACS demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.85). CONCLUSION: Overall, the Turkish version of the PACS was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluating activity participation in children with ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

23. Yui K, Imataka G, Ichihashi M. Prostaglandins: Biological Action, Therapeutic Aspects, and Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Curr Issues Mol Biol;2025 (Jan 21);47(2)

Esterified ARA on the inner surface of the cell membrane is hydrolyzed to its free form by phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which is further metabolized by COXs and lipoxygenases (LOXs) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. PGs produce detrimental effects due to their proinflammatory properties. The generation of prostaglandin (PG)G(2) and PGH(2) is triggered by cyclooxygenase (COX) isozymes such as COX-1 and COX-2. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is significantly elevated in ASD. Considerable data indicate that COX enzymes and their metabolites of ARA play important roles in the initiation and development of human neurodevelopmental diseases. The involvement of disrupted COX2/PGE2 signaling in ASD pathology in changing neuronal cell behavior and the expression of ASD-related genes and proteins is due to disrupted COX2/PGE2 signaling. Prostacyclin (PGI2) is synthesized from arachidonic acid by metabolic-pathway-dependent cyclooxygenase (COX) and synthesized in a primary step of ARA transformation (PGG2, PGH2), by degradation of the abovementioned prostaglandins.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

24. Zhang LY, Wang M, Fu XW, Chen SN, Gu J, Li SB, Chu MY, Wang YY, Wang Y, Chan RCK. Moderation Effect of Emotional Expressivity on the Associations Between Schizotypal Traits, Autistic Traits and Social Pleasure. Psych J;2025 (Feb 24)

Diminished social pleasure has been reported in people with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies suggested that emotional expressivity is closely correlated with social pleasure. However, the underlying psychological mechanisms between traits related to schizophrenia and ASD, emotional expressivity, and social pleasure remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between subclinical schizotypal and autistic traits, facial expressions, and social pleasure. Eighty-six healthy participants (mean age = 20.35 ± 0.26 years, 44 males) were recruited to complete an emotion elicitation task and an autobiographical recalling task, while their facial expressions were videotaped for computerized analysis using the FaceReader. The intensity of different facial expressions (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, and disgusted), valence, and arousal were extracted. The self-report Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS), Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS) were administered to measure subclinical traits and social pleasure. Partial correlation analysis and moderation analysis were performed. Both schizotypal and autistic traits were negatively correlated with social pleasure. The moderation effects of angry facial expression for both schizotypal and autistic traits on their associations with social pleasure were significant. In addition, scared and surprised facial expressions moderated the associations between positive and negative dimensions of schizotypy and social pleasure, while arousal moderated the associations between autistic traits and social pleasure. Our study identified different moderating effects of facial emotion expressions on schizotypal and social anhedonia and autistic traits and social anhedonia, thereby revealing possible different psychopathological mechanisms underlying similar social anhedonia in subclinical populations.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)