1. Amos GA, Byrne G, Chouinard PA, Godber T. {{Autism Traits, Sensory Over-Responsivity, Anxiety, and Stress: A Test of Explanatory Models}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
The relationship between autistic traits, stress, and anxiety experienced by the general population was investigated using an adult sample that evaluated the suitability of three theoretical models proposed by Green and Ben-Sasson. Participants completed online questionnaires that were analysed using structural equation modelling and partial correlation analyses. Of the models tested, the model that proposed SOR and stress as mediators of the relationship between autistic traits and anxiety was able to explain the variance in the data better than the other models. Based on these findings, we suggest that sensory neutral environments should be considered for the prevention and management of anxiety and stress symptoms for people in the general population with higher levels of autistic traits.
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2. de Giambattista C, Ventura P, Trerotoli P, Margari M, Palumbi R, Margari L. {{Subtyping the Autism Spectrum Disorder: Comparison of Children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Since Hans Asperger’s first description (Arch Psych Nervenkrankh 117:76-136, 1944), through Lorna Wing’s translation and definition (Psychol Med 11:115-129, 1981), to its introduction in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM, 1994), Asperger Syndrome has always aroused huge interest and debate, until vanishing in the DSM fifth edition (2013). The debate regarded its diagnostic validity and its differentiation from high functioning autism (HFA). The present study aimed to examine whether AS differed from HFA in clinical profiles and to analyze the impact of DSM-5’s innovation. Differences in cognitive, language, school functioning and comorbidities, were revealed when 80 AS and 70 HFA patients (3-18 years) were compared. Results suggested that an AS empirical distinction within autism spectrum disorder should be clinically useful.
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3. Feldman JI, Kuang W, Conrad JG, Tu A, Santapuram P, Simon DM, Foss-Feig JH, Kwakye LD, Stevenson RA, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. {{Brief Report: Differences in Multisensory Integration Covary with Sensory Responsiveness in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Research shows that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differ in their behavioral patterns of responding to sensory stimuli (i.e., sensory responsiveness) and in various other aspects of sensory functioning relative to typical peers. This study explored relations between measures of sensory responsiveness and multisensory speech perception and integration in children with and without ASD. Participants were 8-17 year old children, 18 with ASD and 18 matched typically developing controls. Participants completed a psychophysical speech perception task, and parents reported on children’s sensory responsiveness. Psychophysical measures (e.g., audiovisual accuracy, temporal binding window) were associated with patterns of sensory responsiveness (e.g., hyporesponsiveness, sensory seeking). Results indicate that differences in multisensory speech perception and integration covary with atypical patterns of sensory responsiveness.
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4. Franchini M, Armstrong VL, Schaer M, Smith IM. {{Initiation of joint attention and related visual attention processes in infants with autism spectrum disorder: Literature review}}. {Child Neuropsychol}. 2018: 1-31.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities that can be difficult to identify before the age of 2 or 3 years, the age when the full range of behavioral symptoms has emerged in most cases. Initiation of joint attention is an important developmental function in which impairments are already observable before the second birthday and can predict children’s ASD symptomatology. In the first part of this review, we summarize results pertaining to retrospective studies of initiation of joint attention in children with ASD and prospective studies of infants at high risk for ASD during the first 2 years, when this behavior is becoming more complex in terms of frequency, quality, and variety. We will also discuss the implications of impairments in dyadic engagement, a precursor of joint attention behavior, for the early development of joint attention. Finally, the early development of initiation of joint attention has been related to specific visual attention mechanisms such as social orienting and visual disengagement. In the second part of this review, we provide an overview of the relationship between those visual attention mechanisms and subsequent social-communication impairments. Clinical and research implications of these findings for both early detection and early intervention will be discussed.
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5. Garcia-Pastor T, Salinero JJ, Theirs CI, Ruiz-Vicente D. {{Obesity Status and Physical Activity Level in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
The purpose of the present study was to compare body composition and physical activity level between children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A sample of 78 children, adolescents and adults participated in the study. Anthropometrics and physical activity, using GT1M accelerometer, were assessed. Overweight and obesity prevalence was higher in men vs. male children (p < 0.001) and in men vs. women (p = 0.035). Children recorded more moderate to vigorous physical activity (p = 0.040) than adults. Normal-weight children and adolescents combined as one age group, accomplished more moderate to vigorous physical activity, steps and less sedentary time compared to their overweight and obese counterparts during the weekend. Obesity status may negatively affect physical activity level in ASD individuals. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
6. Griesi-Oliveira K, Suzuki AM, Alves AY, Mafra A, Yamamoto GL, Ezquina S, Magalhaes YT, Forti FL, Sertie AL, Zachi EC, Vadasz E, Passos-Bueno MR. {{Actin cytoskeleton dynamics in stem cells from autistic individuals}}. {Sci Rep}. 2018; 8(1): 11138.
Several lines of indirect evidence, such as mutations or dysregulated expression of genes related to cytoskeleton, have suggested that cytoskeletal dynamics, a process essential for axons and dendrites development, is compromised in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, no study has yet examined whether cytoskeleton dynamics is functionally altered in cells from ASD patients. Here we investigated the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) of 13 ASD patients and 8 control individuals by inducing actin filament depolymerization and then measuing their reconstruction upon activation of the RhoGTPases Rac, Cdc42 or RhoA. We observed that stem cells from seven ASD individuals (53%) presented altered dymanics of filament reconstruction, including a patient recently studied by our group whose iPSC-derived neuronal cells show shorten and less arborized neurites. We also report potentially pathogenic genetic variants that might be related to the alterations in actin repolymerization dynamics observed in some patient-derived cells. Our results suggest that, at least for a subgroup of ASD patients, the dynamics of actin polymerization is impaired, which might be ultimately leading to neuronal abnormalities.
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7. Gupta S, Caskey A, Soares N, Augustyn M. {{Autism Spectrum Disorder and Mental Health Comorbidity Leading to Prolonged Inpatient Admission}}. {J Dev Behav Pediatr}. 2018; 39(6): 523-5.
CASE: Sam is a 6-year-old boy with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who recently relocated and has an appointment with you, his new pediatric clinician, to establish care. He was previously followed by a psychiatrist for 2 years for additional diagnoses of insomnia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability. He has tried and (apparently) failed multiple psychotropic trials including stimulants, nonstimulants, mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotics, and nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics. He has a delayed sleep onset and frequent night awakenings each night for the past 3 months, during which he « screams, cries, and thrashes and can stay up for over an hour. » His behaviors are described as irritable, self-injurious, and aggressive with no clear pattern of triggers according to his mother. He is nonverbal and communicates by leading and rarely pointing. The patient’s current medication regimen includes clonidine 0.2 mg at night, lorazepam 1.5 mg as needed at night, olanzapine 5 mg twice daily, and diphenhydramine as needed for sleep/agitation. His mother is concerned that he is developing « tolerance » to the regimen and wants to wean him off some of the medications. His mother is struggling to take care of the patient given his worsening behavior and body habitus (body mass index >99%; z = 3.41).There is a family history of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and autism. He has a 3-year-old sister, who is also diagnosed with ASD, though she is not as severely impacted. His mother’s partner recently moved in along with 2 children of his own, aged 3 and 4 years. Sam attends a specialized school, where he receives behavior therapy and occupational therapy. He has undergone inpatient pediatric hospitalization twice, 1 time for 3 weeks and the other for 6 days, for aggressive behavior, and in both instances, he was discharged before inpatient psychiatric placement because of a lack of available beds.After urgent consultation with your local developmental and behavioral pediatrician, a slight reduction was made in the lorazepam because of concerns about tolerance and side effects. However, within a week of this, he was brought to the emergency department for continued self-injurious behavior and increased trouble with sleeping. His mother voiced concerns about his safety in the home, which were particularly related to aggression toward his younger sister. He was admitted to the pediatric inpatient floor for observation, and medication adjustment (increasing olanzapine), which was initially helpful in improving behavior, but mostly behavioral/environmental strategies were used to soothe him, including frequent wagon rides through the hospital corridors.Despite the patient being stable from the medical standpoint, Sam’s mother did not feel comfortable taking him home. Social work contacted local community mental health services to pursue outpatient resources and respite care options and sought inpatient pediatric psychiatry. After several failed attempts to find placement, he remained in pediatric inpatient care for 1 and a half months with no acute medical interventions other than his oral medications.He was finally accepted to the in-state pediatric psychiatric facility when a bed was available. During his week-long stay, he had further medication adjustments with a decrease in olanzapine and optimization of his clonidine dose. During his psychiatric hospital stay, care coordination succeeded in arranging center-based applied behavior analysis interventions and respite care and parent training for his family. Sam began to show improvement in his overall agitation and aggression, requiring less clonazepam, and his mother then maintained outpatient follow-up.The day before discharge, you visit him in the hospital, and a medical student asks you why he was in the hospital for so long. How would you answer the question?
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8. Knutsen J, Crossman M, Perrin J, Shui A, Kuhlthau K. {{Sex differences in restricted repetitive behaviors and interests in children with autism spectrum disorder: An Autism Treatment Network study}}. {Autism}. 2018: 1362361318786490.
Compared to the social communication domain, considerably less is known about the cause, development, and impact of restricted, repetitive behaviors interests and activities in children with autism spectrum disorder, including possible sex differences. This study examined sex differences in clinically identified (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) restricted and repetitive behavior symptoms using the largest known sample (N = 1024) of age-matched and intelligence quotient-matched female and male children with autism spectrum disorder. More similarities than differences were observed; however, younger higher functioning and older lower functioning females presented reduced rates on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule restricted and repetitive behavior subcategory unusually repetitive/excessive, stereotyped behaviors compared to similar males. These findings identify key restricted and repetitive behavior similarities and differences among young females and males with autism spectrum disorder and emphasize the need for a deeper understanding of the female autism phenotype.
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9. Mazurek MO, Curran A, Burnette C, Sohl K. {{ECHO Autism STAT: Accelerating Early Access to Autism Diagnosis}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Although early diagnosis of autism is critical for promoting access to early intervention, many children experience significant diagnostic delays. Shortages of healthcare providers, limited capacity at autism centers, and geographic and socioeconomic challenges contribute to these delays. The current pilot study examined the feasibility of a new model for training community-based primary care providers (PCPs) in underserved areas in screening and diagnosis of young children at highest risk for autism. By combining hands-on training in standardized techniques with ongoing virtual mentorship and practice, the program emphasized both timely diagnosis and appropriate referral for more comprehensive assessment when necessary. Results indicated improvements in PCP practice and self-efficacy, and feasibility of the model for enhancing local access to care.
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10. Ozyurt G, Besiroglu L. {{Autism Spectrum Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Their Mothers}}. {Noro Psikiyatr Ars}. 2018; 55(1): 40-8.
Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 1-3% of children and adolescents. Although a close relation between OCD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been pointed out, the relation between maternal ASD symptoms and subclinical ASD symptoms in OCD have not been evaluated adequately. In this study, children and adolescents with OCD diagnosis, and OSB indications in their mothers were investigated. The relationship between the clinical severity of these indications in children and adolescents with OCD, and maternal OSB indications will be examined. Method: The study group consisted of 38 cases (8-18 years old) diagnosed with OCD. The control group (n=39) comprised patients of other clinics at hospital, and was matched for gender and age to the OCD patients. The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children – Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) was used to diagnose OCD and accompanying comorbidities. Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was used to evaluate children’s ASD symptoms while Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ) was used to evaluate maternal broad autism phenotype. OCD symptoms in children were evaluated with Children Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-(C-Y-BOCS), and OCD symptoms in mothers were evaluated with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-(Y-BOCS). Results: There was no significant difference between sociodemographic data of two groups. When cases and controls were compared with SCQ; all subscales’ scores and total score of SCQ were statistically significant higher in OCD group and also mothers of OCD group had statistically significant higher scores in total score of ASQ and subscales except « imagination ». Also in comparing the groups with Y-BOCS and C-Y-BOCS; OCD group had statistically significant higher scores in these scales. Conclusion: ASD symptoms are prevalent in cases diagnosed with OCD and ASD symptoms increases with OCD severity. Further studies are needed to examine genetic and environmental common risk factors between OCD and ASD.
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11. Padmanabha H, Singhi P, Sahu JK, Malhi P. {{Home-based Sensory Interventions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial}}. {Indian journal of pediatrics}. 2018.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and efficacy of home-based sensory interventions in children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with sensory processing abnormalities. METHODS: This was a 12-wk, parallel group, pilot, randomized controlled trial. During the study-period, 185 children with ASD between 3-12 y of age, with sensory processing abnormalities were screened for eligibility. Twenty-one children were randomly assigned to the sensory-intervention group and 19 to the standard-therapy group. Sensory-intervention group received home-based sensory interventions by the parents/caregivers plus standard therapy; standard-therapy group received speech therapy by the speech pathologists and applied behavior analysis by the child psychologist. RESULTS: The mean change in scores at baseline and 12 wk into intervention showed that children in sensory-intervention group (Mean = 9.33, SD = 3.52) scored significantly better on Parent Rated 10-item Likert Scale (PRILS-10), as compared to standard-therapy group (Mean = 2.47, SD = 1.46), t(36) = 8.16, p < 0.001; d = 2.54. Marked improvement was noted especially in reduction of hyperactivity, motor-stereotypies and auditory sensitivity in those who underwent sensory interventions. The mean change in scores in sensory-intervention group on Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) (Mean = -9.19, SD = 2.33, p < 0.011; d = -1.75) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL(TM)) (M = -10.53, SD = 5.34, p = 0.008; d = -0.88) showed significant difference in the sensory-intervention group as compared to standard-therapy group. Overall, there was 32.3%, 18.1% and 15.8% improvement on PRILS-10, CGAS and PedsQL(TM) respectively in sensory-intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that home-based sensory interventions are feasible in a developing country and are suggested to have a beneficial role in ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
12. Pereira AM, Campos BM, Coan AC, Pegoraro LF, de Rezende TJR, Obeso I, Dalgalarrondo P, da Costa JC, Dreher JC, Cendes F. {{Differences in Cortical Structure and Functional MRI Connectivity in High Functioning Autism}}. {Frontiers in neurology}. 2018; 9: 539.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a complex group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by deficits in communication and social behaviors. We examined the functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN) and its relation to multimodal morphometry to investigate superregional, system-level alterations in a group of 22 adolescents and young adults with high-functioning autism compared to age-, and intelligence quotient-matched 29 healthy controls. The main findings were that ASD patients had gray matter (GM) reduction, decreased cortical thickness and larger cortical surface areas in several brain regions, including the cingulate, temporal lobes, and amygdala, as well as increased gyrification in regions associated with encoding visual memories and areas of the sensorimotor component of the DMN, more pronounced in the left hemisphere. Moreover, patients with ASD had decreased connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex, and areas of the executive control component of the DMN and increased FC between the anteromedial prefrontal cortex and areas of the sensorimotor component of the DMN. Reduced cortical thickness in the right inferior frontal lobe correlated with higher social impairment according to the scores of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Reduced cortical thickness in left frontal regions, as well as an increased cortical thickness in the right temporal pole and posterior cingulate, were associated with worse scores on the communication domain of the ADI-R. We found no association between scores on the restrictive and repetitive behaviors domain of ADI-R with structural measures or FC. The combination of these structural and connectivity abnormalities may help to explain some of the core behaviors in high-functioning ASD and need to be investigated further.
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13. Raghavan R, Fallin MD, Hong X, Wang G, Ji Y, Stuart EA, Paige D, Wang X. {{Cord and Early Childhood Plasma Adiponectin Levels and Autism Risk: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Emerging research suggests that adiponectin, a cytokine produced by adipose tissue, may be implicated in ASD. In this prospective birth cohort study (n = 847), we assessed the association between cord, early childhood plasma adiponectin and the risk of developing ASD. ASD was defined based on ICD codes of physician diagnosis. Cord adiponectin levels were inversely associated with ASD risk (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.33, 0.77), independent of preterm birth, early childhood adiponectin and other known ASD risk factors. Early childhood adiponectin, assessed prior to ASD diagnosis, was associated with lower risk of ASD, which attenuated after adjusting for cord adiponectin, indicating the relative importance of cord adiponectin in ASD risk. Further research is warranted to confirm our findings and elucidate biological mechanisms.
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14. Shivers CM, McGregor CM. {{Brief Report: Sibling Feelings Toward their Brother or Sister With or Without Autism or Intellectual Disability}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
The present study examined 97 adolescent siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), or no disabilities. Siblings reported on their feelings toward their brother or sister (anxiety, hostility, and positive affect), and parents reported on general optimism, child behavior problems, and perceptions of how the child impacts the family, including the sibling. There were no differences between siblings of individuals with ASD and siblings of individuals with IDD on any sibling self-reported feelings toward their brother or sister, though parents of individuals with ASD reported significantly less optimism and more negative perception of the child’s impact on the family than did parents of children with IDD or no disability.
