1. Alsayouf HA, Talo H, Biddappa ML, Qasaymeh M, Qasem S, De Los Reyes E. {{Pharmacological Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Standard Supportive Therapies Significantly Improves Core Signs and Symptoms: A Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series}}. {Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat}. 2020; 16: 2779-94.
PURPOSE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder with high heterogeneity and no clear common cause. Several drugs, in particular risperidone and aripiprazole, are used to treat comorbid challenging behaviors in children with ASD. Treatment with risperidone and aripiprazole is currently recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA for children aged 5 and 6 years and older, respectively. Here, we investigated the use of these medications in younger patients aged 4 years and older. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective case series included 18 children (mean age, 5.7 years) with ASD treated at the Kids Neuro Clinic and Rehab Center in Dubai. These patients began treatment with risperidone or aripiprazole at the age of 4 years and older, and all patients presented with comorbid challenging behaviors that warranted pharmacological intervention with either risperidone or aripiprazole. RESULTS: All 18 children showed objective improvement in their ASD core signs and symptoms. Significant improvement was observed in 44% of the cases, and complete resolution (minimal-to-no-symptoms) was observed in 56% of the cases as per the Childhood Autism Rating Scale 2-Standard Test (CARS2-ST) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scales. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the chronic administration of antipsychotic medications with or without ADHD medications is well tolerated and efficacious in the treatment of ASD core and comorbid symptoms in younger children when combined with standard supportive therapies. This is the first report to suggest a treatment approach that may completely resolve the core signs and symptoms of ASD. While the reported outcomes indicate significant improvement to complete resolution of ASD, pharmacological intervention should continue to be considered as part of a multi-component intervention in combination with standard supportive therapies. Furthermore, the findings support the critical need for double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to validate the outcomes.
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2. Barrios-Fernández S, Gozalo M, Díaz-González B, García-Gómez A. {{A Complementary Sensory Tool for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Children (Basel, Switzerland)}. 2020; 7(11).
BACKGROUND: Sensory integration (SI) issues are widely described in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), impacting in their daily life and occupations. To improve their quality of life and occupational performance, we need to improve clinical and educational evaluation and intervention processes. We aim to develop a tool for measuring SI issues for Spanish children and adolescents with ASD diagnosis, to be used as a complementary tool to complete the Rivière’s Autism Spectrum Inventory, a widely used instrument in Spanish speaking places to describe the severity of ASD symptoms, recently updated with a new sensory scale with three dimensions. METHODS: 458 Spanish participants complemented the new questionnaire, initially formed by 73 items with a 1-5 Likert scale. RESULTS: The instrument finally was composed of 41 items grouped in three factors: modulation disorders (13 items), discrimination disorders (13 items), and sensory-based motor disorders (15 items). The goodness-of-fit indices from factor analyses, reliability, and the analysis of the questionnaire’s classification capability offered good values. CONCLUSIONS: The new questionnaire shows good psychometric properties and seems to be a good complementary tool to complete new the sensory scale in the Rivière’s Autism Spectrum Inventory.
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3. Beauvois L, Kverno K. {{Challenges in Treating Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners}}. {Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services}. 2020; 58(12): 7-12.
Children who present to behavioral health care with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have overlapping symptoms and co-occurring disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, sleep-wake disorders, and/or emotional/behavioral dysregulation. The challenge for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners is to identify the modifiable symptoms and diagnosable disorders and develop a comprehensive treatment plan that reduces risk factors and promotes improved functioning. The current article presents an overview of evidence-based treatment strategies for co-occurring conditions. A child- and family-based collaborative approach with clear treatment goals in the context of an inter-professional care team, which includes the primary care provider, therapists, other relevant specialists, and teachers, has been shown to support children with ASD in becoming more successful in managing everyday stressors and regulating emotions and behaviors. Evidence-based assessment, monitoring, and educational resources for clinicians and parents are provided. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(12), 7-12.].
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4. Brierley NJ, McDonnell CG, Parks KMA, Schulz SE, Dalal TC, Kelley E, Anagnostou E, Nicolson R, Georgiades S, Crosbie J, Schachar R, Liu X, Stevenson RA. {{Factor Structure of Repetitive Behaviors Across Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2020.
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and commonly occur in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Little is known about how RRBs manifest in ADHD. We quantified and compared factor structures of RRBs in children with ASD (n = 634) or ADHD (n = 448), and related factors to sex and IQ. A four-factor solution emerged, including Stereotypy, Self-Injury, Compulsions, and Ritualistic/Sameness. Factor structures were equivalent across diagnoses, though symptoms were more severe in ASD. IQ negatively correlated with Stereotypy, Self-Injury, and Compulsions in ASD, and negatively correlated with Compulsions and Ritualistic/Sameness behaviors in ADHD. In ASD only, females exhibited higher Self-Injury. Thus, patterns of RRBs are preserved across ASD and ADHD, but severity and relationship with IQ differed.
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5. Brueggeman L, Koomar T, Michaelson JJ. {{Author Correction: Forecasting risk gene discovery in autism with machine learning and genome-scale data}}. {Sci Rep}. 2020; 10(1): 20994.
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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6. Castro-Kemp S, Gaona C, Grande C, Palikara O. {{Consistency between provision, outcomes and functioning needs in statutory documents for young children with developmental disabilities in England}}. {Res Dev Disabil}. 2020; 108: 103815.
BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that early childhood intervention for children with disabilities should address the assessment-intervention cycle holistically. Documenting both assessment and intervention is important to support provision effectively. In England, the official document that describes needs and provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities is the Education Health and Care plan. This document requires inter-professional collaboration and a focus on children’s holistic participation, rather than diagnosis. AIM: To examine the consistency between provision, outcomes and needs of young children with disabilities in England, as described in their Education Health and Care plans. METHODS: The plans of 68 young children were examined and the relationships between documented needs, outcomes and provision actions analysed. RESULTS: provision is more related to children’s individual needs, than to their diagnoses, when needs are described in sufficient detail; interdisciplinarity leads to higher quality documentation of provision and outcomes. However, more needs to be done to support professionals in developing higher quality needs descriptions and interdisciplinary collaborations. IMPLICATIONS: Training and interdisciplinarity with a common language between professionals have the potential to improve currently observed challenges regarding consistency between provision, needs and outcomes.
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7. Ebrahimi Meimand S, Rostam-Abadi Y, Rezaei N. {{Autism spectrum disorders and natural killer cells: a review on pathogenesis and treatment}}. {Expert review of clinical immunology}. 2020: 1-9.
Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, is characterized by early-onset impairments in social-communication, repetitive behaviors, and restrictive interests. Areas covered: Although still unknown, there are some pieces of evidence suggesting altered immune function in the etiology of ASD. This review aims to summarize studies linking Natural Killer (NK) cells to ASD by searching through databases like MEDLINE and Scopus up to October 2020. NK cells play important roles in the innate immune system and immune regulation. As parts of the immune system, they interact with the neural system as well. Immune dysregulations such as autoimmunity and improper immune responses to both internal and external stimulations, especially in early developmental stages of the brain, may induce neurodevelopmental disorders. NK cells’ dysfunction in children with ASD as well as their parents have been highlighted in many studies. Expert opinion: Changes in the frequency, gene expressions, cytotoxicity features, and receptors of NK cells are reported in children with ASD. Immune therapy for children with ASD with immune abnormality has shown promising results. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of ASD providing future treatment options for these children.
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8. Elnahas EM, Abuelezz SA, Mohamad MI, Nabil MM, Abdelraouf SM, Bahaa N, Hassan GA, Ibrahim EA, Ahmed AI, Aboul-Fotouh S. {{Validation of prenatal versus postnatal valproic acid rat models of autism: A behavioral and neurobiological study}}. {Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry}. 2020: 110185.
Despite the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is still a deficiency in understanding its exact pathophysiology and treatment, therefore validation of translational ASD animal model is warranted. Although strong evidences support the valproic acid (VPA) model of autism, yet a controversy exists regarding the best timing of exposure whether prenatal or postnatal. Accordingly, this study was designed to compare the time dependent effects of VPA exposure as regard its ability to induce autistic like changes in male Wistar rats. In this study, two different protocols of VPA exposure (prenatal and postnatal) were compared at different levels (behavioral, neurochemical and histopathological). Results of this study revealed that both prenatal and postnatal VPA exposures induced autistic-like behaviors manifested by reduced social interaction, increased repetitive stereotyped behavior and anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, lowered sensitivity to pain, and neurodevelopmental delay. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines and oxidative/nitrosative stress markers were elevated in prefrontal cortex and hippocampal homogenates. Likewise, histopathological and immunohistochemical assessment confirmed the neurodegenerative and the apoptotic changes in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum exhibited by decreased viable cells number and Nissl’s granules optical density, and increased caspase-3 immunoreactivity respectively. Interestingly, ASD core symptoms and histopathological changes were significantly (P < 0.05) altered in prenatal VPA model compared to postnatal VPA model. Additionally, postnatal mortality in prenatal model (4.3%) was much lower compared to the postnatal model (22.7%). In conclusion, our study overweighs the ability of prenatal VPA model over postnatal VPA model to induce behavioral and neuropathological alterations that simulate those observed in autistic individuals with a lower postnatal animal mortality, highlighting the privilege of prenatal over postnatal VPA exposure as a translational model for understanding pathophysiology and developing novel targets for management of ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Failla MD, Gerdes MB, Williams ZJ, Moore DJ, Cascio CJ. {{Increased pain sensitivity and pain-related anxiety in individuals with autism}}. {Pain reports}. 2020; 5(6): e861.
INTRODUCTION: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit differences in pain responsivity. This altered responsivity could be related to ASD-related social communication difficulties, sensory differences, or altered processing of pain stimuli. Previous neuroimaging work suggests altered pain evaluation could contribute to pain-related anxiety in ASD. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that individuals with ASD would report increased pain sensitivity and endorse more pain-related anxiety, compared to typically developing controls. METHODS: We recruited 43 adults (ASD, n = 24; typically developing, n = 19) for 3 heat pain tasks (applied to the calf). We measured heat pain thresholds using a method of limits approach, a pain-rating curve (7 temperatures between 40 and 48°C, 5 seconds, 5 trials each), and a sustained heat pain task with alternating low (42°C) and high (46°C) temperatures (21 seconds, 6 trials each). Individual differences in pain-related anxiety, fear of pain, situational pain catastrophizing, depressive symptoms, and autism-related social communication were assessed by self-report. RESULTS: There were no group differences in pain thresholds. For suprathreshold tasks, mean pain ratings were higher in ASD across both the pain-rating curve and the sustained heat pain tasks, but responses in the ASD group were more varied. Pain anxiety (PASS-Total) and pain-related fear (FOP-III-Total) were higher in the ASD group and were positively associated with pain ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that both sensory and cognitive experiences of pain are heightened and interact reciprocally in adults with ASD. Future studies are needed to evaluate the impact of pain-related anxiety on treatment-seeking and pain behaviors, given higher levels of pain-related anxiety in ASD.
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10. Gevarter C, Groll M, Stone E. {{Dynamic assessment of augmentative alternative and communication application grid formats and communicative targets for children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md : 1985)}. 2020: 1-12.
Six children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participated in dynamic assessment to determine whether the complexity of grid-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) application displays impacted the level of instructional supports needed for responding across different communicative functions/parts of speech. Dynamic assessment was integrated into a single-case multi-element design. The researchers examined the effects of three different display formats that varied in (a) array size, and (b) the number of steps needed to make a response, on the average levels of support needed to make item requests and action/social word responses. Three participants demonstrated high levels of independence when requesting items with displays that utilized small arrays and did not require navigation. These participants also showed rapid increases in their ability to make item requests with displays that required two-step navigation, and began to use action and social words across displays with decreasing levels of support. In comparison, the three remaining participants did not demonstrate consistent independence with any display or communicative function, but did show differences in levels of supports (e.g., overall less support needed for less complex displays and for item requests in comparison to action and social words). Implications for individualized AAC assessment and display selection for children with ASD are discussed.
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11. Hendren RL. {{Editorial: What to Do About Rigid, Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder?}}. {J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry}. 2020.
Rigid, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) as a part of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are perplexing and challenging to treat effectively. First, how is it that they associate with deficits in social communication and social interaction to create a strong symptomatic association for the DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD?(1) Deficits in social communication make sense in how they define a developmental disorder, but what is the mechanism by which social interaction and RRBs connect to define the classification of ASD? Perhaps it is that, rather than by neurotransmitters or linked structural brain regions, ASD is a neural systems condition mediated by abnormalities in regionally distributed cortical networks.(2).
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12. Hirayama A, Wakusawa K, Fujioka T, Iwata K, Usui N, Kurita D, Kameno Y, Wakuda T, Takagai S, Hirai T, Nara T, Ito H, Nagano Y, Oowada S, Tsujii M, Tsuchiya KJ, Matsuzaki H. {{Simultaneous evaluation of antioxidative serum profiles facilitates the diagnostic screening of autism spectrum disorder in under-6-year-old children}}. {Sci Rep}. 2020; 10(1): 20602.
This case-control study aimed to assess oxidative stress alterations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used the MULTIS method, an electron spin resonance-based technique measuring multiple free radical scavenging activities simultaneously, in combination with conventional oxidative stress markers to investigate the ability of this MULTIS approach as a non-behavioural diagnostic tool for children with ASD. Serum samples of 39 children with ASD and 58 age-matched children with typical development were analysed. The ASD group showed decreased hydroxyl radical ((•)OH) and singlet oxygen scavenging activity with increased serum coenzyme Q10 oxidation rate, indicating a prooxidative tendency in ASD. By contrast, scavenging activities against superoxide (O(2)(•-)) and alkoxyl radical (RO(•)) were increased in the ASD group suggesting antioxidative shifts. In the subgroup analysis of 6-year-olds or younger, the combination of (•)OH, O(2)(•-), and RO(•) scavenging activities predicted ASD with high odds ratio (50.4), positive likelihood (12.6), and percentage of correct classification (87.0%). Our results indicate that oxidative stress in children with ASD is not simply elevated but rather shows a compensatory shift. MULTIS measurements may serve as a very powerful non-behavioural tool for the diagnosis of ASD in children.
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13. Jaswal VK, Dinishak J, Stephan C, Akhtar N. {{Experiencing social connection: A qualitative study of mothers of nonspeaking autistic children}}. {PLoS One}. 2020; 15(11): e0242661.
Autistic children do not consistently show conventional signs of social engagement, which some have interpreted to mean that they are not interested in connecting with other people. If someone does not act like they are interested in connecting with you, it may make it difficult to feel connected to them. And yet, some parents report feeling strongly connected to their autistic children. We conducted phenomenological interviews with 13 mothers to understand how they experienced connection with their 5- to 14-year-old nonspeaking autistic children. Mothers of nonspeaking autistic children represent a unique group in which to study connection because their children both may not seem interested in connecting with them and have limited ability to communicate effectively using speech, a common way people connect with each other. The mothers in this study interpreted a range of child behaviors-some unconventional, but many conventional-as signs that their children were interested in connecting with them, (re)framed child behaviors that could undermine connection as caused by factors unrelated to the relationship, and expressed several convictions that may help build and sustain connection in the face of uncertainty about the meaning of their children’s behavior. Even though their autistic children may not consistently act in conventional socially oriented ways, these mothers reported perceiving their children’s behavior as embedded within an emotionally reciprocal relationship.
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14. Jung M, Lee E. {{Specialised Teachers’ Perceptions on the Management of Aggressive Behaviours in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Int J Environ Res Public Health}. 2020; 17(23).
This study aimed to explore and describe the perception of specialized teachers regarding the management of aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Data were collected from 13 specialized teachers working in primary and secondary schools, using focus group interviews, and interview data were analyzed using an open coding method. The analysis of the specialized teachers’ perceptions of the management of aggression in children and adolescents with autism revealed the following results. A central theme « consistent practices to smooth edges » was conceptualized along with the categories: educational responses to individual behaviors, which had sub-themes of « identification of aggressive behavior patterns » and « strategic responses to aggressive behaviors observed »; experience in interventions for aggressive behaviors, with sub-themes of « individual intervention practices » and « school-led therapeutic support » and « factors preventing mitigation of aggression »; and acceptance of virtual reality (VR) based intervention model for aggression, with sub-themes of « acceptance of VR-based program applications » and « proposal for VR-based program contents. » Based on the specialized teachers’ perceptions examined in this study, more effective education and training intervention programs and support systems can be developed and provided for the management of aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents with autism.
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15. Krishnamurthy K, Yeung MK, Chan AS, Han YMY. {{Effortful Control and Prefrontal Cortex Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An fNIRS Study}}. {Brain Sci}. 2020; 10(11).
Effortful control (EC) is an important dimension of temperament, but is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While EC is associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning in typically developing (TD) children, it is unclear whether EC deficits are associated with PFC dysfunction in ASD. This study examines the relationship between EC and PFC activation and connectivity in children with high-functioning ASD. Thirty-nine right-handed children (ASD: n = 20; TD: n = 19) aged 8-12 years were recruited. The EC level was assessed with the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), and PFC functioning, in terms of activation and connectivity during a frontal-sensitive (n-back) task, was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Children with ASD showed a significant deficit in EC and its related constructs (i.e., executive, and socioemotional functions) compared to TD controls. They also showed significantly increased overall PFC activation and reduced right frontal connectivity during the n-back task. Among children with ASD, the EC level correlated significantly with neither PFC activation nor connectivity; it significantly correlated with social functioning only. This study demonstrated EC deficits and altered PFC functioning in children with ASD, but the exact neural basis of EC deficits remains to be determined.
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16. Lee JH, Lee GW, Bong G, Yoo HJ, Kim HK. {{Deep-Learning-Based Detection of Infants with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Auto-Encoder Feature Representation}}. {Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)}. 2020; 20(23).
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder with a life-span disability. While diagnostic instruments have been developed and qualified based on the accuracy of the discrimination of children with ASD from typical development (TD) children, the stability of such procedures can be disrupted by limitations pertaining to time expenses and the subjectivity of clinicians. Consequently, automated diagnostic methods have been developed for acquiring objective measures of autism, and in various fields of research, vocal characteristics have not only been reported as distinctive characteristics by clinicians, but have also shown promising performance in several studies utilizing deep learning models based on the automated discrimination of children with ASD from children with TD. However, difficulties still exist in terms of the characteristics of the data, the complexity of the analysis, and the lack of arranged data caused by the low accessibility for diagnosis and the need to secure anonymity. In order to address these issues, we introduce a pre-trained feature extraction auto-encoder model and a joint optimization scheme, which can achieve robustness for widely distributed and unrefined data using a deep-learning-based method for the detection of autism that utilizes various models. By adopting this auto-encoder-based feature extraction and joint optimization in the extended version of the Geneva minimalistic acoustic parameter set (eGeMAPS) speech feature data set, we acquire improved performance in the detection of ASD in infants compared to the raw data set.
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17. Liang Y, Xiao Z, Ke X, Yao P, Chen Y, Lin L, Lu J. {{Urinary Metabonomic Profiling Discriminates Between Children with Autism and Their Healthy Siblings}}. {Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research}. 2020; 26: e926634.
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complicated neuropsychiatric disease that displays significant heterogeneity. The diagnosis of ASD is currently primarily dependent upon descriptions of clinical symptoms, and it remains urgent to find biological markers for the detection and diagnosis of autism. The current study applied the urinary metabolic profiling approach to characterize metabolic phenotypes in ASD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Urine was obtained from children with ASD and their matched healthy siblings. Samples were analyzed using 1H NMR-based methods designed to measure a broad range of metabolites. Partial least-square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to develop models to identify metabonomic variations that can be used to distinguish between individuals with ASD and their unaffected siblings. RESULTS A significant difference was observed between the metabolomic profiles of children with ASD and that of their healthy siblings. An increase in the levels of tryptophan, hippurate, glycine, and creatine, and a decrease in trigonelline, melatonin, pantothenate, serotonin, and taurine were observed compared to the control group. We conclude that several metabolic pathways are affected by autism, which suggests that a gut-brain link may be important in the pathophysiology of ASD. CONCLUSIONS 1H NMR-based metabonomic analysis of the urine can determine perturbations of specific metabolic pathways related to ASD and help identify a characteristic metabolic fingerprint to better understand the disease and its causes.
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18. Pangrazzi L, Balasco L, Bozzi Y. {{Natural Antioxidants: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders?}}. {Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)}. 2020; 9(12).
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental syndromes with both genetic and environmental origins. Several recent studies have shown that inflammation and oxidative stress may play a key role in supporting the pathogenesis and the severity of ASD. Thus, the administration of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules may represent a promising strategy to counteract pathological behaviors in ASD patients. In the current review, results from recent literature showing how natural antioxidants may be beneficial in the context of ASD will be discussed. Interestingly, many antioxidant molecules available in nature show anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, after introducing ASD and the role of the vitamin E/vitamin C/glutathione network in scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the impairments observed with ASD, we discuss the concept of functional food and nutraceutical compounds. Furthermore, the effects of well-known nutraceutical compounds on ASD individuals and animal models of ASD are summarized. Finally, the importance of nutraceutical compounds as support therapy useful in reducing the symptoms in autistic people is discussed.
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19. Patrini M. {{Is family therapy effective for people with autism spectrum disorder and their families? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary}}. {Dev Med Child Neurol}. 2020.
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20. Pensado-López A, Veiga-Rúa S, Carracedo Á, Allegue C, Sánchez L. {{Experimental Models to Study Autism Spectrum Disorders: hiPSCs, Rodents and Zebrafish}}. {Genes}. 2020; 11(11).
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect around 1.5% of the global population, which manifest alterations in communication and socialization, as well as repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. ASD is a complex disorder with known environmental and genetic contributors; however, ASD etiology is far from being clear. In the past decades, many efforts have been put into developing new models to study ASD, both in vitro and in vivo. These models have a lot of potential to help to validate some of the previously associated risk factors to the development of the disorder, and to test new potential therapies that help to alleviate ASD symptoms. The present review is focused on the recent advances towards the generation of models for the study of ASD, which would be a useful tool to decipher the bases of the disorder, as well as to conduct drug screenings that hopefully lead to the identification of useful compounds to help patients deal with the symptoms of ASD.
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21. Rebbe R, Brown SE, Matter RA, Mienko JA. {{Prevalence of Births and Interactions with Child Protective Services of Children Born to Mothers Diagnosed with an Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability}}. {Maternal and child health journal}. 2020.
OBJECTIVES: Concerns have been raised that parents with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) interact with child protective services (CPS) at disproportionate rates than the general population as a result of bias and discrimination. However, there has been little empirical evidence to ascertain if these concerns are grounded. This study’s objectives were to identify (a) the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of children born to mothers diagnosed with IDD diagnoses, (b) how many of these children interact with CPS (reports and removals) and (c) when these CPS interactions are occurring. METHODS: The dataset was comprised of linked administrative birth, hospital discharge, and CPS records for all children born in one U.S. state between 1999 and 2013 (N = 1,271,419). CPS records were available through the first quarter of 2018 and CPS reports and removals at the child’s first and fourth birthdays were identified. We conducted chi-square tests and multivariate survival Cox regression models. RESULTS: A total of 567 children were identified as born to mothers with IDD diagnoses, which is 4.5 per 10,000 births. Of these children, 21.7% were the subject of a CPS report within 1 year and 35.8% within 4 years. In terms of removals, 6.5% experienced removals by 1 year and 8.6% by 4 years. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study provides population-based knowledge about how and when the children born to mothers diagnosed with IDD interact with CPS. These children have higher rates of CPS interactions than the general population, but these rates are not as high as previously reported.
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22. Saito M, Nakamura K, Hirota K. {{Concerns for labor analgesia and autism spectrum disorders}}. {Journal of anesthesia}. 2020.
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23. Sanner CM, Neece CL, Herbozo S, Baum MF. {{A pilot study of enhanced operation fit: The feasibility of a camp-based health intervention for ethnically diverse families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities}}. {J Appl Res Intellect Disabil}. 2020.
BACKGROUND: Obesity rates are higher in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (DD) compared to typically developing (TD) children. In TD children, family-based (FB) interventions for obesity are the most effective interventions. Research addressing obesity interventions for children with IDD is limited. METHOD: We adapted a community-based obesity intervention created for TD children for children with IDD and added a parent education component. The current study examined the feasibility of Enhanced-Operation Fit, a camp-based intervention created in order to reduce weight, and improve health behavior outcomes. Participants were 16 children (68.8% male; M(age) = 13.15, SD(age) = 1.62) and their parents. RESULTS: Results indicated that incorporating a daily parent education group limited recruitment potential, but showed promising preliminary improvements in parent feeding and child eating behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Health interventions for children with IDD are greatly needed and the current study may be a cost and time-efficient intervention to help address this public health crisis.
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24. Sesso G, Cristofani C, Berloffa S, Cristofani P, Fantozzi P, Inguaggiato E, Narzisi A, Pfanner C, Ricci F, Tacchi A, Valente E, Viglione V, Milone A, Masi G. {{Autism Spectrum Disorder and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Comorbidities Delineate Clinical Phenotypes in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Novel Insights from the Assessment of Psychopathological and Neuropsychological Profiles}}. {J Clin Med}. 2020; 9(12).
Although childhood-onset psychiatric disorders are often considered as distinct and separate from each other, they frequently co-occur, with partial overlapping symptomatology. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly co-occur with each other and with other mental disorders, particularly disruptive behavior disorders, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD). Whether these associated comorbidities represent a spectrum of distinct clinical phenotypes is matter of research. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical phenotypes of youths with ADHD with and without ASD and/or ODD/CD, based on neuropsychological and psychopathological variables. One-hundred fifty-one participants with ADHD were prospectively recruited and assigned to four clinical groups, and assessed by means of parent-reported questionnaires, the child behavior checklist and the behavior rating inventory of executive functions. The ADHD alone group presented a greater impairment in metacognitive executive functions, ADHD+ASD patients presented higher internalizing problems and deficits in Shifting tasks, and ADHD+ODD/CD subjects presented emotional-behavioral dysregulation. Moreover, ADHD+ASD+ODD/CD individuals exhibited greater internalizing and externalizing problems, and specific neuropsychological impairments in the domains of emotional regulation. Our study supports the need to implement the evaluation of the psychopathological and neuropsychological functioning profiles, and to characterize specific endophenotypes for a finely customized establishment of treatment strategies.
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25. Sharaan S, Fletcher-Watson S, MacPherson SE. {{The Impact of Bilingualism on the Executive Functions of Autistic Children: A Study of English-Arabic Children}}. {Autism Res}. 2020.
There is evidence to suggest that certain executive functions are impaired in autistic children, contributing to many daily challenges. Regular use of two languages has the potential to positively influence executive functions, though evidence is mixed. Little is known about the impact of bilingualism on the executive functions of autistic children, with only a handful of studies published worldwide to date. This study investigated the impact of bilingualism on sustained attention, interference control, flexible switching and working memory, in Arabic-English autistic children (n = 27) and their typically developing peers (n = 66), aged 5-12 years old. Groups were matched on age, nonverbal IQ and socioeconomic status, and completed a battery of computerized tests. Results showed an advantage for bilingual autistic children relative to their monolingual peers in sustained attention, and equivalent performance between bilingual and monolingual autistic children on all other executive functions. There were no generalized positive effects of bilingualism, and typically-developing children performed better than autistic children on all measures. The findings indicate that bilingualism does not negatively impact the executive function skills of autistic children, and that it might mitigate difficulties in sustained attention. LAY SUMMARY: Contrary to widespread belief, but in line with previous research, this study showed that speaking two languages did not harm thinking skills in autistic children. The thinking skills evaluated in this study included the ability to focus over a period of time, the ability to resist distractions, the ability to move back and forth between tasks, and the ability to use short-term memory. In fact, speaking two languages might help reduce difficulties that autistic children might face when focusing over a period of time.
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26. Ünsel Bolat G. {{Case report: diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in patients diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism}}. {Neurocase}. 2020: 1-4.
Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by impairment in the melanin synthesis. We report two siblings with OCA who presented with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ocular side effects occured after methylphenidate (MPH) treatment in the patient with ADHD and OCA. The diagnosis of OCA has been associated with difficulties in academic and social fields due to decreased visual activity and differentiation of phenotypic characteristics. Delayed diagnosis of comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders and MPH therapy may increase these difficulties. Patients with OCA require careful evaluation and treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders.
