1. Allen L, Leon-Attia O, Shaham M, Shefer S, Gabis LV. {{Autism risk linked to prematurity is more accentuated in girls}}. {PLoS One};2020;15(8):e0236994.
INTRODUCTION: Prematurity has been identified as a risk factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The link between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and birth-week has not been strongly evidenced. We evaluated the correlation between the degree of prematurity and the incidence of autism in a cohort of 871 children born prematurely and followed from birth. The cohort was reduced to 416 premature infants born between 2011-2017 who were followed for 2-14 years, and analyzed according to birth week (degree of prematurity), and according to gender. RESULTS: 43 children (10.3%) received a definite diagnosis of ASD. There was a significant correlation between birth week and the risk of ASD, with 22.6% of children diagnosed with ASD when born at 25 weeks, versus 6% of ASD diagnoses at 31 weeks of prematurity. For children born after 32 weeks, the incidence decreased to 8-12.5%. A strong link was found between earlier birth week and increased autism risk; the risk remained elevated during near-term prematurity in boys. A correlation between early birth week and an elevated risk for ASD was seen in all children, but accentuated in females, gradually decreasing as birth week progresses; in males the risk for ASD remains elevated for any birth week. CONCLUSION: A statistically significant increase in rates of autism was found with each additional week of prematurity. Females drove this direct risk related to degree of prematurity, while males had an elevated risk throughout prematurity weeks, even at near-term. We recommend including ASD screening in follow up of infants born prematurely, at all levels of prematurity.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
2. Barnett A, Edwards K, Harper R, Evans E, Alexander D, Choudhary M, Richards G. {{The Association Between Autistic Traits and Disordered Eating is Moderated by Sex/Gender and Independent of Anxiety and Depression}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2020 (Aug 27)
Previous studies have reported positive correlations between autistic traits and disordered eating, though it is unclear whether the association is moderated by sex/gender or whether it is independent of anxiety or depression. We present the findings of an online survey of 691 participants who completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Following a pre-registered analysis plan, we observed positive correlations between AQ and EAT-26 in males and females, with the association being significantly stronger in females. AQ also remained a significant predictor of EAT-26 when anxiety and depression were controlled for statistically. These findings may be relevant when considering therapeutic interventions in disordered eating populations that exhibit autistic traits.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Bunch L. {{Forced Nutrition of a Pediatric Patient with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {HEC Forum};2020 (Aug 27)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated 1 in 54 children aged 8 years in the United States (Maenner MJ, Shaw KA, Baio et al., 2020). For many of these children, there are concomitant eating and/or behavioral challenges that can make managing their nutritional health challenging. This commentary responds to a particularly challenging case in which a pediatric patient with ASD presented to the local hospital’s emergency department with severe weight loss and malnutrition.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
4. Carrington SJ, Barrett SL, Sivagamasundari U, Fretwell C, Noens I, Maljaars J, Leekam SR. {{Correction to: Describing the Profile of Diagnostic Features in Autistic Adults Using an Abbreviated Version of the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO-Abbreviated)}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2020 (Aug 27)
The original version of this article unfortunately contained two labelling errors in Fig. 3 and Figure S4.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
5. Chen X, Han X, Blanchi B, Guan W, Ge W, Yu YC, Sun YE. {{Graded and pan-neural disease phenotypes of Rett Syndrome linked with dosage of functional MeCP2}}. {Protein Cell};2020 (Aug 27)
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder, mainly caused by mutations in MeCP2 and currently with no cure. We report here that neurons from R106W MeCP2 RTT human iPSCs as well as human embryonic stem cells after MeCP2 knockdown exhibit consistent and long-lasting impairment in maturation as indicated by impaired action potentials and passive membrane properties as well as reduced soma size and spine density. Moreover, RTT-inherent defects in neuronal maturation could be pan-neuronal and occurred in neurons with both dorsal and ventral forebrain features. Knockdown of MeCP2 led to more severe neuronal deficits as compared to RTT iPSC-derived neurons, which appeared to retain partial function. Strikingly, consistent deficits in nuclear size, dendritic complexity and circuitry-dependent spontaneous postsynaptic currents could only be observed in MeCP2 knockdown neurons but not RTT iPSC-derived neurons. Both neuron-intrinsic and circuitry-dependent deficits of MeCP2-deficient neurons could be fully or partially rescued by re-expression of wild type or T158M MeCP2, strengthening the dosage dependency of MeCP2 on disease phenotypes and also the partial function of the mutant. Our findings thus reveal stable neuronal maturation deficits and unexpectedly, graded sensitivities of neuron-inherent and neural transmission phenotypes towards the extent of MeCP2 deficiency, which is informative for future therapeutic development.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
6. Kaufman NK. {{Rethinking « gold standards » and « best practices » in the assessment of autism}}. {Appl Neuropsychol Child};2020 (Aug 27):1-12.
Failure to correctly diagnosis autism is problematic in both the false-positive and false-negative directions. Diagnosing autism when it is not truly present can direct limited resources away from those who actually need the services, while also creating stress and confusion for individuals and families. In contrast, failure to correctly identify autism when it is indeed present can prevent individuals and families from receiving needed support, including early intervention services. Those familiar with current trends in autism assessment are likely aware of « gold standards » involving specific autism tests and « best practices » involving multi-disciplinary autism teams. Curiously, these « gold standard » and « best practice » proclamations have not been adequately scrutinized. The present article aims to address this gap in the literature by (a) discussing the value of autism tests/tools; (b) drawing attention to biasing influences in autism assessment; (c) identifying methodological flaws in « gold standard » autism assessment research; and (d) proposing that more assessment, not less, might be better in autism assessment. It is concluded that it is time to rethink « gold standards » and « best practices » in the assessment of autism.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Lee HY, Vigen C, Zwaigenbaum L, Smith IM, Brian J, Watson LR, Crais ER, Baranek GT. {{Construct validity of the First-Year Inventory (FYI Version 2.0) in 12-month-olds at high-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Autism};2020 (Aug 27):1362361320947325.
The First-Year Inventory 2.0 is a parent-report screening instrument designed to identify 12-month-old infants at risk for an eventual diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This instrument focuses on Social-Communication and Sensory-Regulatory areas of infant behavior. Although the First-Year Inventory 2.0 screening performance has been previously studied, its validity has not been examined. Establishing validity of an instrument is important because it supports the effectiveness and the reliability of the instrument. In this study, we examined relationship between the First-Year Inventory 2.0 (Social-Communication and Sensory-Regulatory areas) and other instruments that measure similar areas of infant behavior in a sample of high-risk infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These other instruments share some common aims and theoretical areas with the First-Year Inventory 2.0: the Autism Observation Scale for Infants, the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II, and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire. Findings generally supported the validity of the First-Year Inventory 2.0 with other instruments. In particular, the Social-Communication area of the First-Year Inventory 2.0 showed greater commonality with other instruments than in the Sensory-Regulatory area. The Sensory-Regulatory area seemed to be a unique feature of the First-Year Inventory 2.0 instrument. Considering different aims and strengths of assessments, researchers and clinicians are encouraged to utilize a variety of instruments in a comprehensive evaluation of a child.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
8. McCauley JB, Pickles A, Huerta M, Lord C. {{Defining Positive Outcomes in More and Less Cognitively Able Autistic Adults}}. {Autism Res};2020 (Aug 27)
Identifying positive outcomes for a wide range of intellectual abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains a challenge. Several past studies of autistic adults have used outcome definitions that do not reflect the experiences of less cognitively able adults. The aim of the current study was to (1) define three domains of outcomes: autonomy, social relationships, and purpose, and (2) examine how these outcomes relate to concurrent aspects of adult functioning. Using data from a longitudinal sample of 126 adults (85% diagnosed with ASD at some point), mean age 26, who first entered the study in early childhood, we generated distinct outcomes for less (daily living skills above an 8-year-old level, having regular activities outside the home, and social contacts outside the family) and more cognitively able adults (living independently, having paid employment, and at least one true friend). Verbal IQ, assessed in adulthood, was a significant predictor of more outcomes achieved for individuals within more and less cognitively able groups. For less cognitively able adults, having ever received a formal ASD diagnosis (in contrast to current Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule [ADOS] CSS scores) was associated with lower odds of positive outcomes. For more cognitively able adults, living skills and happiness measures were positively associated with number of outcomes met; higher ADOS CSS, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, being racially diverse, and having caregiver education below college graduation were all negatively associated with the number of positive outcomes. Tailoring outcomes to ability levels may lead to better identification of goals and service needs. LAY SUMMARY: This article describes the outcomes of autistic adults who are more and less cognitively able. For less cognitively able individuals, an earlier autism diagnosis was negatively related to outcomes. Several factors that were associated with positive outcomes for more cognitively able individuals, including daily living skills, fewer mental health problems, family demographics, and subjective measures of happiness. Our study identifies several important factors for families, individuals, and service providers to consider and discuss when planning the transition to adulthood.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Papp LM, Drastal KC, Lorang EK, Hartley SL. {{Mother-father physiological synchrony during conflict and moderation by parenting challenges: Findings from parents of children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Fam Syst Health};2020 (Aug 27)
INTRODUCTION: Despite robust evidence in the broader family process literature for within-couple associations between romantic partners’ physiological responding, this linkage has not been tested directly among parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Explicit attention to these parents is warranted on the basis of the established family-wide challenges associated with the persistent emotional, functional, and behavior impairments typically observed in children with ASD (see Karst & Van Hecke, 2012). The first purpose of this study is to extend examination of within-couple associations between electrodermal activity (EDA) to mothers and fathers of children with ASD. The second purpose is to test 2 potential moderators of EDA synchrony reflecting heightened challenges among parents of children with ASD, namely parenting as an observed conflict topic and global parenting stress. METHOD: Both parents wore wrist sensors that captured continuous EDA during a recorded marital conflict interaction. Trained coders provided ratings of emotional intensity and conflict topics, including whether the topic of parenting was discussed. Parents reported their global level of parenting stress. Dyadic multilevel modeling was used to test our hypotheses and accounted for interaction factors (e.g., movement data, emotional intensity). RESULTS: Findings identified significant positive associations between parents’ EDA. One moderator result emerged; specifically, father EDA was a stronger predictor of mother EDA when parenting was discussed as a conflict topic. CONCLUSION: This study extends evidence of within-couple physiological linkage to parents raising a child with ASD and provides a foundation for future research examining the family-wide implications of this linkage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
10. Peña M, Ng Y, Ripat J, Anagnostou E. {{Brief Report: Parent Perspectives on Sensory-Based Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2020 (Aug 27)
Sensory-Based Interventions (SBIs) are often recommended to enable function/participation in children with ASD. Still, there are limited studies to evaluate their effectiveness. Acceptability studies are an important step towards establishing effective interventions. We examined parents’ perceptions of the uptake and acceptability of such interventions. An online survey was sent to 399 families; response rate was 39%. The most frequently therapist-recommended interventions were trampoline (54.6%), massage (47.8%), and oral-motor tools (43.8%). Highest use was reported for massage (96.3%), trampoline (89.2%) and joint compressions and brushing (89.2%). The majority of parents viewed these interventions to be very important /important, (74.8%) but barriers to their use were identified. High acceptability of SBIs was reported by parents of children with ASD.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
11. Uono S, Yoshimura S, Toichi M. {{Eye contact perception in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism};2020 (Aug 27):1362361320949721.
The detection of a self-directed gaze is often the starting point for social interactions and a person who feels as if they are being watched can prepare to respond to others’ actions irrespective of the real gaze direction because the other person may likely be motivated to approach. Although many studies demonstrated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty discriminating gaze direction, it remains unclear how the perception of self-directed gaze by individuals with autism spectrum disorder differs from that of age-, sex-, and IQ-matched typically developing individuals. Participants observed faces with various gaze directions and answered whether the person in the photograph was looking at them or not. Individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder were just as likely to perceive subtle averted gazes as self-directed gazes. The frequency of perceiving a self-directed gaze decreased as gaze aversion increased in both groups and, in general, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed a comparable ability to perceive a self-directed gaze as that of typically developing individuals. Interestingly, considering face membership of photographs (ingroup or outgroup faces), typically developing individuals, but not individuals with autism spectrum disorder, were more likely to perceive self-directed gazes from ingroup faces than from outgroup faces. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder had different affective experiences in response to ingroup and outgroup faces. These results suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder did not show an ingroup bias for the perception of a self-directed gaze, and raise a possibility that an atypical emotional experience contributes to the diminished ingroup bias.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
12. Zinck A, Frith U, Schönknecht P, White S. {{Knowing me, knowing you: Spontaneous use of mentalistic language for self and other in autism}}. {Autism};2020 (Aug 27):1362361320951017.
Autistic people can have difficulties in understanding non-autistic people’s mental states such as beliefs, emotions and intentions. Although autistic adults may learn to overcome difficulties in understanding of explicit (overt) mental states, they may nevertheless struggle with implicit (indirect) understanding of mental states. This study explores how spontaneous language is used in order to specifically point to this implicit (indirect) understanding of mental states. In particular, our study compares the spontaneous statements that were used in descriptions of oneself and a familiar other person. Here, we found that autistic and non-autistic adults were comparable in the number of statements about physical traits they made. In contrast, non-autistic adults made more statements about mentalistic traits (about the mental including psychological traits, relationship traits and statements reflecting about these) both for the self and the other. Non-autistic and autistic adults showed no difference in the number of statements about relationships but in the number of statements about psychological traits and especially in the statements reflecting on these. Each group showed a similar pattern of kinds of statements for the self and for the other person. This suggests that autistic individuals show the same unique pattern of description in mentalistic terms for the self and another person. This study also indicates that investigating spontaneous use of language, especially for statements reflecting about mental states, enables us to look into difficulties with implicit (indirect) understanding of mental states.
