Pubmed du 30/06/14

Pubmed du jour

2014-06-30 12:03:50

1. Libertus K, Sheperd KA, Ross SW, Landa RJ. {{Limited Fine Motor and Grasping Skills in 6-Month-Old Infants at High Risk for Autism}}. {Child Dev};2014 (Jun 30)
Atypical motor behaviors are common among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, little is known about onset and functional implications of differences in early motor development among infants later diagnosed with ASD. Two prospective experiments were conducted to investigate motor skills among 6-month-olds at increased risk (high risk) for ASD (N1 = 129; N2 = 46). Infants were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and during toy play. Across both experiments, high-risk infants exhibited less mature object manipulation in a highly structured (MSEL) context and reduced grasping activity in an unstructured (free-play) context than infants with no family history of ASD. Longitudinal assessments suggest that between 6 and 10 months, grasping activity increases in high-risk infants.

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2. O’Dwyer L, Tanner C, van Dongen EV, Greven CU, Bralten J, Zwiers MP, Franke B, Oosterlaan J, Heslenfeld D, Hoekstra P, Hartman CA, Rommelse N, Buitelaar JK. {{Brain volumetric correlates of autism spectrum disorder symptoms in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder}}. {PLoS One};2014;9(6):e101130.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms frequently occur in subjects with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While there is evidence that both ADHD and ASD have differential structural correlates, no study to date has investigated these structural correlates within a framework that robustly accounts for the phenotypic overlap between the two disorders. The presence of ASD symptoms was measured by the parent-reported Children’s Social and Behavioural Questionnaire (CSBQ) in ADHD subjects (n = 180), their unaffected siblings (n = 118) and healthy controls (n = 146). ADHD symptoms were assessed by a structured interview (K-SADS-PL) and the Conners’ ADHD questionnaires. Whole brain T1-weighted MPRAGE images were acquired and the structural MRI correlates of ASD symptom scores were analysed by modelling ASD symptom scores against white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) volumes using mixed effects models which controlled for ADHD symptom levels. ASD symptoms were significantly elevated in ADHD subjects relative to both controls and unaffected siblings. ASD scores were predicted by the interaction between WM and GM volumes. Increasing ASD score was associated with greater GM volume. Equivocal results from previous structural studies in ADHD and ASD may be due to the fact that comorbidity has not been taken into account in studies to date. The current findings stress the need to account for issues of ASD comorbidity in ADHD.

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3. Richdale AL, Baker E, Short M, Gradisar M. {{The role of insomnia, pre-sleep arousal and psychopathology symptoms in daytime impairment in adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder}}. {Sleep Med};2014 (May 21)
OBJECTIVES: Sleep disturbance and psychopathology are common during adolescence and are highly prevalent in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between sleep disturbance, psychopathology symptoms, and daytime functioning in adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) compared to typically developing (TD) adolescents. METHODS: Twenty-seven adolescents with HFASD and 27 age- and sex-matched TD adolescents completed questionnaires related to sleep, psychopathology and daytime functioning. Participants also completed a 7-day sleep/wake diary. A subsample of HFASD adolescents (55%) and all the TD adolescents wore an actigraphy monitor concurrently with the sleep diary. RESULTS: Adolescents with HFASD had significantly higher scores for depressed mood, anxiety and pre-sleep arousal compared with TD adolescents and poorer daytime functioning. There were more significant correlations between sleep variables and psychopathology variables, and sleep variables and daytime functioning, in the HFASD group than in the TD group. Standard regression found that sleep variables significantly accounted for 57% of the variance in daytime functioning symptoms of insufficient sleep in the HFASD group, while psychopathology variables accounted for 63% of the variance in daytime functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Both sleep disturbance and psychopathology are more prevalent in adolescents with HFASD and are major contributors to poor daytime functioning in these individuals.

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4. Rohit MK, Puri K, Vadivelu R. {{Reversible complete atrioventricular block after percutaneous ASD device closure in a child <15 kg}}. {Indian Heart J};2014 (May-Jun);66(3):366-369.

Transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) in small children less than 15 kg may be associated with increased complications. Complete atrioventricular heart block (CHB) is a rare complication of ASD device closure in such a setting. We report the case of a 2-year-old girl, less than 15 kg, who underwent device closure of ASD with Amplatzer Septal Occluder and subsequently developed CHB 12 h after the procedure which resolved completely with steroid treatment on fifth day. Case report of a similar kind is rarely reported in the literature. Despite adequate postero-inferior margin CHB may still occur in small children as in our case.

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5. Tellegen CL, Sanders MR. {{A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating a Brief Parenting Program With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Consult Clin Psychol};2014 (Jun 30)
Objective: This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Primary Care Stepping Stones Triple P, a brief individualized parenting program, in a sample of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: Sixty-four parents of children aged 2-9 years (M = 5.67, SD = 2.14) with an ASD diagnosis participated in the study. Eighty-six percent of children were male, and 89% of parents identified their child’s ethnicity as Australian/White. Families were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions (intervention or care-as-usual) and were assessed at 3 time points (preintervention, postintervention, and 6-month follow-up). Parents completed a range of questionnaires to assess changes in child behavior (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) and parent outcomes (Parenting Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Parent Problem Checklist, Relationship Quality Inventory, Parental Stress Scale) and 30-min home observations of parent-child interactions. Results: Relative to the care-as-usual group, significant short-term improvements were found in the intervention group on parent-reported child behavior problems, dysfunctional parenting styles, parenting confidence, and parental stress, parental conflict, and relationship happiness. No significant intervention effects were found on levels of parental depression or anxiety, or on observed child disruptive and parent aversive behavior. The effect sizes for significant variables ranged from medium to large. Short-term effects were predominantly maintained at 6-month follow-up, and parents reported high levels of goal achievement and satisfaction with the program. Conclusions: The results indicate that a brief low intensity version of Stepping Stones Triple P is an efficacious intervention for parents of children with ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

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6. Tomassy GS, Morello N, Calcagno E, Giustetto M. {{Developmental Abnormalities Of Cortical Interneurons Precede Symptoms Onset In A Mouse Model Of Rett Syndrome}}. {J Neurochem};2014 (Jun 30)
Rett syndrome (RTT; MIM312750), a neurodevelopmental disorder predominantly occurring in females, is caused in the majority of cases by sporadic mutations in the gene encoding the transcriptional modulator Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 (MECP2). In mice, impaired MeCP2 function results in severe motor, cognitive, and emotional defects. However, the impact of Mecp2 function on the development and organization of the cortical inhibitory system is still largely unknown. First, we found that MeCP2 expression varies among the major gamma-aminobutyric acid-(GABA)-releasing cortical interneurons (INs) subclasses and its nuclear localization differs between neuronal types. The density of calretinin+ and parvalbumin+ INs increases in Mecp2 knockout mice (Mecp2-/y ) already at early postnatal developmental stages. In contrast, the density of somatostatin+ INs is not affected. We also found that the development of multipolar-calretinin+ interneurons is selectively affected by the absence of Mecp2. Additionally, we show that in Mecp2 heterozygous female mice, a model closely mimicking human RTT condition, INs abnormalities are similar to those observed in Mecp2-/y mice. Together, our study indicates that loss of function of Mecp2 strongly interferes with the correct establishment of the neocortical inhibitory system producing effects that are specific to different IN subtypes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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7. Vernon TW. {{Fostering a Social Child with Autism: A Moment-By-Moment Sequential Analysis of an Early Social Engagement Intervention}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014 (Jun 29)
Young children with autism often experience limited social motivation and responsiveness that restricts establishment of crucial social momentum. These characteristics can lead to decreased opportunities for parental engagement and the social learning associated with these moments. Early social interventions that capitalize on pre-existing interests may be able to re-establish this developmentally critical feedback loop, in which both child and parent social behaviors simultaneously increase and influence one another. This investigation examined the moment-by-moment, micro-transactional relationship between parent and child social behavior gains observed in an early intervention study. Time-window sequential analyses revealed the presence of clinically and statistically significant sequential associations between parent and child social behaviors during an embedded social interaction intervention, but not in a comparable motivational intervention that utilized highly preferred toys and objects. Specifically, the onset of parent eye contact, directed positive affect, or offer of a reinforcing incentive predicted the immediate occurrence of child eye contact and positive affect in the experimental social intervention condition. Additionally, child verbal initiations, positive affect, and eye contact immediately predicted the onset of parent positive affect during this social intervention paradigm. Theoretical implications for the social developmental trajectory of autism are discussed.

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8. Yang HC, Lee IC. {{Visual Feedback and Target Size Effects on Reach-to-Grasp Tasks in Children with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2014 (Jun 29)
This study explores the effects of visual condition and target size during four reach-to-grasp tasks between autistic children and healthy controls. Twenty children with autism and 20 healthy controls participated in the study. Qualisys motion capture system and kinematic measures were used to record movement. Autistic group showed significantly longer movement time, larger normalized jerk score, more movement unit than controls, especially in non-visual feedback and small target blocks. Autistic group also showed significantly larger maximal grip aperture and normalized maximal grip aperture in visual feedback condition than controls. Autistic children demonstrate motor coordination problems and also depend on more visual cuing in high accuracy tasks. Autistic children develop other compensatory skills while performing tasks.

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