1. {{Autism spectrum disorders and the gut. Consensus recommendations for evaluation and treatment}}. {Harv Ment Health Lett} (Apr);26(10):4.
2. Bilgin H, Kucuk L. {{Raising an autistic child: perspectives from Turkish mothers}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs} (May);23(2):92-99.
PROBLEM: Autism is an illness with severe deficits in reciprocal social interactions, imagination, communication, and restricted or unusual behavioral repertories that affect all areas of a child’s life such as daily living activities, home/school life, and relationships with family members and others. Yet, there is much to be learned about the impact of this disorder on parents’ experiences, and ways in which their lives are altered and ways that they can be assisted to better manage the home environment. METHODS: The purpose of this study was to explore and categorize the experiences of mothers having an autistic child using a phenomenological design in the qualitative tradition. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 mothers regarding their experiences with their autistic children. Data were analyzed with deductive content analysis based on coding, and were grouped into categories based on common themes. The distributions of common responses in categories were presented as percentages. FINDINGS: Based on this qualitative study, mothers expressed feelings of burden and stress because of their child’s behaviors associated with autism, as well as their own role and future expectations, and the complexity of care needed by their children at home. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided new knowledge about the difficulties and experiences of mothers of autistic children in Turkey. The results underscored the needs of mothers who require support from family members, healthcare organizations, and society. The findings support the need for training programs for mothers and parents conducted by nurses and other healthcare professionals who have special knowledge and skill to provide education and modeling of therapeutic interventions.
3. Kawatani M, Nakai A, Okuno T, Kobata R, Moriuchi M, Moriuchi H, Tsukahara H, Mayumi M. {{Detection of cytomegalovirus in preserved umbilical cord from a boy with autistic disorder}}. {Pediatr Int} (Apr);52(2):304-307.
4. Kirchner JC, Hatri A, Heekeren HR, Dziobek I. {{Autistic Symptomatology, Face Processing Abilities, and Eye Fixation Patterns}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (May 26)
Deviant gaze behavior is a defining characteristic of autism. Its relevance as a pathophysiological mechanism, however, remains unknown. In the present study, we compared eye fixations of 20 adults with autism and 21 controls while they were engaged in taking the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET). Additional measures of face emotion and identity recognition were also obtained. While both groups fixated more on the face and mouth in the emotion recognition than in the face identity condition of the MET, individuals with autism fixated less on the face across MET conditions. Correlation analysis revealed associations between fixation time on the eyes and face processing abilities. Our results suggest that eye fixation patterns are an important characteristic of the social phenotype of autism.
5. Leonard H, Downs J, Jian L, Bebbington A, Jacoby P, Nagarajan L, Ravine D, Woodhead H. {{Valproate and risk of fracture in Rett syndrome}}. {Arch Dis Child} (Jun);95(6):444-448.
Objectives Some associations between antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and fracture risk have been reported in the general population. This study investigated the relationships between fracture risk and commonly used AEDs in Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with intellectual and physical disability. Study design Cases (n=233) were sourced from the population-based Australian Rett Syndrome Database and longitudinal data were used. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyse relationships between fracture and prescribed AEDs, mobility, epilepsy diagnosis and genotype. Results After controlling for mobility, epilepsy diagnosis and genotype, use of valproate increased the risk of fracture threefold after at least 1 year (HR 3.56; 95% CI 1.85 to 6.82) and after 2 or more years (HR 3.02; 95% CI 1.90 to 4.80). There was a lesser increased risk (HR 1.99; 95% CI 0.99 to 4.02) with lamotrigine in the first year of use but not for subsequent years of use. Carbamazepine slightly decreased the risk (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.35 to 1.02) after 2 or more years of use. Conclusions The effect of valproate on bone health should be considered when managing epilepsy in Rett syndrome. Multiple mechanisms could be contributing to this effect.
6. Narayanan A, White CA, Saklayen S, Scaduto MJ, Carpenter AL, Abduljalil A, Schmalbrock P, Beversdorf DQ. {{Effect of Propranolol on Functional Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder-A Pilot Study}}. {Brain Imaging Behav} (May 20)
A decrease in interaction between brain regions is observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is believed to be related to restricted neural network access in ASD. Propranolol, a beta-adrenergic antagonist, has revealed benefit during performance of tasks involving flexibility of access to networks, a benefit also seen in ASD. Our goal was to determine the effect of propranolol on functional connectivity in ASD during a verbal decision making task as compared to nadolol, thereby accounting for the potential spurious fMRI effects due to peripheral hemodynamic effects of propranolol. Ten ASD subjects underwent fMRI scans after administration of placebo, propranolol or nadolol, while performing a phonological decision making task. Comparison of functional connectivity between pre-defined ROI-pairs revealed a significant increase with propranolol compared to nadolol, suggesting a potential imaging marker for the cognitive effects of propranolol in ASD.
7. State MW. {{Another piece of the autism puzzle}}. {Nat Genet} (Jun);42(6):478-479.
A new study has identified rare de novo mutations in SHANK2 in individuals with autism and/or mental retardation. SHANK2 encodes a scaffolding protein present in excitatory synapses. This finding sheds some light on the pathophysiology of social and cognitive disability.
