1. Aoki Y, Watanabe T, Abe O, Kuwabara H, Yahata N, Takano Y, Iwashiro N, Natsubori T, Takao H, Kawakubo Y, Kasai K, Yamasue H. {{Oxytocin’s neurochemical effects in the medial prefrontal cortex underlie recovery of task-specific brain activity in autism: a randomized controlled trial}}. {Mol Psychiatry};2014
The neuropeptide oxytocin may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the currently untreatable social and communication deficits associated with autism. Our recent paper reported that oxytocin mitigated autistic behavioral deficits through the restoration of activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), as demonstrated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a socio-communication task. However, it is unknown whether oxytocin exhibited effects at the neuronal level, which was outside of the specific task examined. In the same randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject cross-over clinical trial in which a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) was administered to 40 men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (UMIN000002241/000004393), we measured N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels, a marker for neuronal energy demand, in the vmPFC using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). The differences in the NAA levels between the oxytocin and placebo sessions were associated with oxytocin-induced fMRI signal changes in the vmPFC. The oxytocin-induced increases in the fMRI signal could be predicted by the NAA differences between the oxytocin and placebo sessions (P=0.002), an effect that remained after controlling for variability in the time between the fMRI and 1H-MRS scans (P=0.006) and the order of administration of oxytocin and placebo (P=0.001). Furthermore, path analysis showed that the NAA differences in the vmPFC triggered increases in the task-dependent fMRI signals in the vmPFC, which consequently led to improvements in the socio-communication difficulties associated with autism. The present study suggests that the beneficial effects of oxytocin are not limited to the autistic behavior elicited by our psychological task, but may generalize to other autistic behavioral problems associated with the vmPFC.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 29 July 2014; doi:10.1038/mp.2014.74.
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2. Bie B, Tang L. {{Representation of Autism in Leading Newspapers in China: A Content Analysis}}. {Health Commun};2014:1-10.
The public’s lack of understanding and the public’s misconceptions about autism in China contribute to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of the disorder and the stigma associated with it. Mass media are the primary channel through which people learn about autism. This article examines how leading newspapers in China covered autism in the 10-year period of 2003 through 2012 through a framing analysis. It finds that while autism has received increased media attention, it is increasingly framed as a family problem-family members are cited or quoted more than any other sources and the responsibility of dealing with autism is ultimately assigned to families. Autistic people are largely silenced unless they are autistic savants with special talents. The use of the scientific discourse and the human-interest discourse both decrease over time in percentage, while the use of other discourses such as the public relations discourse becomes more dominant.
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3. Hirvikoski T, Blomqvist M. {{High self-perceived stress and poor coping in intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism};2014
Despite average intellectual capacity, autistic traits may complicate performance in many everyday situations, thus leading to stress. This study focuses on stress in everyday life in intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorders. In total, 53 adults (25 with autism spectrum disorder and 28 typical adults from the general population) completed the Perceived Stress Scale. Autistic traits were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient. Adults with autism spectrum disorder reported significantly higher subjective stress and poorer ability to cope with stress in everyday life, as compared to typical adults. Autistic traits were associated with both subjective stress/distress and coping in this cross-sectional series. The long-term consequences of chronic stress in everyday life, as well as treatment intervention focusing on stress and coping, should be addressed in future research as well as in the clinical management of intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorder.
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4. Hodgetts S, Zwaigenbaum L, Nicholas D. {{Profile and predictors of service needs for families of children with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Autism};2014
PURPOSE: Increasing demand for autism services is straining service systems. Tailoring services to best meet families’ needs could improve their quality of life and decrease burden on the system. We explored overall, best, and worst met service needs, and predictors of those needs, for families of children with autism spectrum disorders. METHODS: Parents of 143 children with autism spectrum disorders (2-18 years) completed a survey including demographic and descriptive information, the Family Needs Survey-Revised, and an open-ended question about service needs. Descriptive statistics characterize the sample and determine the degree to which items were identified and met as needs. Predictors of total and unmet needs were modeled with regression or generalized linear model. Qualitative responses were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The most frequently identified overall and unmet service needs were information on services, family support, and respite care. The funding and quality of professional support available were viewed positively. Decreased child’s age and income and being an older mother predicted more total needs. Having an older child or mother, lower income, and disruptive behaviors predicted more total unmet needs, yet only disruptive behaviors predicted proportional unmet need. Child’s language or intellectual abilities did not predict needs. CONCLUSION: Findings can help professionals, funders, and policy-makers tailor services to best meet families’ needs.
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5. Lotta LT, Conrad K, Cory-Slechta D, Schor NF. {{Cerebellar Purkinje cell p75 neurotrophin receptor and autistic behavior}}. {Transl Psychiatry};2014;4:e416.
The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is normally expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells throughout the lifespan. Children with autism spectrum behavior exhibit apparent cerebellar Purkinje cell loss. Cerebellar transcriptome changes seen in the murine prenatal valproate exposure model of autism include all of the proteins known to constitute the p75NTR interactome. p75NTR is a modulator of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial redox potential, and others have suggested that aberrant response to oxidant stress has a major role in the pathogenesis of autism. We have created Purkinje cell-selective p75NTR knockout mice that are the progeny of hemizygous Cre-Purkinje cell protein 2 C57Bl mice and p75NTR floxed C57Bl mice. These Cre-loxP mice exhibit complete knockout of p75NTR in ~50% of the cerebellar Purkinje cells. Relative to Cre-only mice and wild-type C57Bl mice, this results in a behavioral phenotype characterized by less allogrooming of (P<0.05; one-way analysis of variance) and socialization or fighting with (each P<0.05) other mice; less (1.2-fold) non-ambulatory exploration of their environment than wild-type (P<0.01) or Cre only (P<0.01) mice; and almost twofold more stereotyped jumping behavior than wild-type (P<0.05) or Cre (P<0.02) mice of the same strain. Wild-type mice have more complex dendritic arborization than Cre-loxP mice, with more neurites per unit area (P<0.025, Student’s t-test), more perpendicular branches per unit area (P<0.025) and more short branches/long neurite (P<0.0005). Aberrant developmental regulation of expression of p75NTR in cerebellar Purkinje cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of autism.
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6. Matthews NL, Ly AR, Goldberg WA. {{College Students’ Perceptions of Peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014
Little is known about peer attitudes toward college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes toward vignette characters displaying behaviors characteristic of ASD were examined among 224 four-year university students who were randomly assigned to one of three labeling conditions for the primary vignette characters: high functioning autism (HFA), typical college student, or no label. Students in the HFA label condition reported more positive behavioral and cognitive attitudes toward the vignette characters than students in the no label condition. Male students and students with lower scores on the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire reported more positive attitudes across study conditions. These experimental results suggest that knowledge of a diagnosis might improve attitudes toward college students with ASD.
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7. Ritvo ER. {{Autism treatments proposed by clinical studies and human genetics are complementary}}. {Transl Psychiatry};2014;4:e415.
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8. Rivard M, Terroux A, Mercier C, Parent-Boursier C. {{Indicators of Intellectual Disabilities in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014
No agreement has been reached yet on the co-occurrence of Intellectual Disability (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in young children. This study describes the clinical profiles of 253 children with ASD between 30 and 65 months old, on IQ and adaptive behaviors, prior to their entry in an early behavioral intervention program. Results showed that 36.8 % of the children met the criteria for ID, with 60.2 % of these in the mild range (IQ 50-69) and 39.8 % in the moderate range (IQ 35-49). ID profiles were similar for boys and girls. Intellectual and adaptive behavior profiles are described as well as their links to various socioeconomic factors.
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9. Sondenaa E, Helverschou SB, Steindal K, Rasmussen K, Nilson B, Nottestad JA. {{VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL OFFENDING BEHAVIOR IN PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER WHO HAVE UNDERGONE A PSYCHIATRIC FORENSIC EXAMINATION}}. {Psychol Rep};2014
Summary.-The increased awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) over the last few decades as well as the potential association between ASD and offending behaviors has spurred a need for increased research in this area. In order to explore any possible relationship between ASD and violent or sexual crime the present study examines all forensic examination reports over a 10-yr. period in Norway where the charged persons were diagnosed with ASD and charged with either a violent (N = 21) or a sexual (N = 12) offense. Differences between these two groups regarding previous contact with child welfare and confessions to the offense were found. There was also a tendency toward more severe mental health problems and less intellectual problems among the violent offenders than the sexual offenders.
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10. Uddin LQ, Supekar K, Lynch CJ, Cheng KM, Odriozola P, Barth ME, Phillips J, Feinstein C, Abrams DA, Menon V. {{Brain State Differentiation and Behavioral Inflexibility in Autismdagger}}. {Cereb Cortex};2014
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by social impairments alongside cognitive and behavioral inflexibility. While social deficits in ASDs have extensively been characterized, the neurobiological basis of inflexibility and its relation to core clinical symptoms of the disorder are unknown. We acquired functional neuroimaging data from 2 cohorts, each consisting of 17 children with ASDs and 17 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children, during stimulus-evoked brain states involving performance of social attention and numerical problem solving tasks, as well as during intrinsic, resting brain states. Effective connectivity between key nodes of the salience network, default mode network, and central executive network was used to obtain indices of functional organization across evoked and intrinsic brain states. In both cohorts examined, a machine learning algorithm was able to discriminate intrinsic (resting) and evoked (task) functional brain network configurations more accurately in TD children than in children with ASD. Brain state discriminability was related to severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors, indicating that weak modulation of brain states may contribute to behavioral inflexibility in ASD. These findings provide novel evidence for a potential link between neurophysiological inflexibility and core symptoms of this complex neurodevelopmental disorder.
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11. Vasa RA, Carroll LM, Nozzolillo AA, Mahajan R, Mazurek MO, Bennett AE, Wink LK, Bernal MP. {{A Systematic Review of Treatments for Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014
This study systematically examined the efficacy and safety of psychopharmacological and non-psychopharmacological treatments for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Four psychopharmacological, nine cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and two alternative treatment studies met inclusion criteria. Psychopharmacological studies were descriptive or open label, sometimes did not specify the anxiety phenotype, and reported behavioral activation. Citalopram and buspirone yielded some improvement, whereas fluvoxamine did not. Non-psychopharmacological studies were mainly randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with CBT demonstrating moderate efficacy for anxiety disorders in youth with high functioning ASD. Deep pressure and neurofeedback provided some benefit. All studies were short-term and included small sample sizes. Large scale and long term RCTs examining psychopharmacological and non-psychopharmacological treatments are sorely needed.
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12. Woodman AC, Smith LE, Greenberg JS, Mailick MR. {{Change in Autism Symptoms and Maladaptive Behaviors in Adolescence and Adulthood: The Role of Positive Family Processes}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014
Little is known about outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into adulthood. Several characteristics of individuals with ASD predict long-term outcomes, and the family environment may also play a role. The present study uses a prospective, longitudinal design to describe and predict trajectories of autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors over 8.5 years in a large, community-based sample of adolescents and adults with ASD. Overall, autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors were observed to improve over the study period. Above and beyond the adult’s gender, age, and level of intellectual disability, greater improvements were associated with higher levels of maternal praise (based on maternal speech samples) and higher quality mother-child relationships. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
