1. Cooper RA, Plaisted-Grant KC, Hannula DE, Ranganath C, Baron-Cohen S, Simons JS. {{Impaired Recollection of Visual Scene Details in Adults With Autism Spectrum Conditions}}. {J Abnorm Psychol};2015 (Jun 29)
Subtle memory deficits observed in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have often been characterized as reflecting impaired recollection and it has been proposed that a relational binding deficit may underlie the recollection impairment. However, subjective recollection and relational binding have not been measured within the same task in ASC to date and it is unclear whether a relational binding deficit can provide a full account of recollection impairments in ASC. Relational memory has also not been compared with item memory when the demands of the 2 tasks are comparable. To assess recollection, relational memory, and item memory within a single task in ASC, 24 adults with ASC and 24 typically developed adults undertook a change detection memory task that assessed recollection of item-specific and spatial details. Participants studied rendered indoor and outdoor scenes and, in a subsequent recognition memory test, distinguished scenes that had not changed from those that had either undergone an item change (a different item exemplar) or a relational (spatial) change, which was followed by a subjective recollection judgment. The ASC group identified fewer item changes and spatial changes, to a similar degree, which was attributable to a specific reduction in recollection-based recognition relative to the control group. These findings provide evidence that recollection deficits in ASC may not be driven entirely by a relational binding deficit. (PsycINFO Database Record
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2. Fleva E, Khan A. {{An examination of the leftward cradling bias among typically developing adults high on autistic traits}}. {Laterality};2015 (Jun 29):1-12.
The leftward cradling bias is the tendency to cradle infants on the left side of the body and it has been linked with hemispheric asymmetry for emotional processing. This study examines this phenomenon using a real-size infant doll in typically developing adults who score high in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes, the Autistic Spectrum Quotient and the Empathy Quotient, measures that assess autistic traits among typically developing individuals. Results revealed that this group showed a reduced tendency to cradle on the left compared to participants who score within the normal range on the above measurements. This study provides further support for the justification of the leftward cradling bias upon brain lateralization on emotional processing. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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3. Hayakawa N, Okada T, Nomura K, Tsukada T, Nakamura M. {{Is high job control a risk factor for poor quality of life in workers with high autism spectrum tendencies? A cross-sectional survey at a factory in Japan}}. {J Occup Health};2015 (Jun 25)
OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of autism spectrum (AS) tendencies and psychosocial job characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among factory workers. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was administered to 376 Japanese factory employees from the same company (response rate: 83.6%) in 2010. Psychosocial job characteristics, including job demand, job control, and social support, were evaluated using the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). AS tendencies was assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and HRQOL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-8). Associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis, AQ was positively (odds ratio [OR]: 3.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70-9.73) and social support in the workplace was inversely (OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10-0.57) associated with poor mental HRQOL. No significant interaction was observed between AQ and JCQ subitems. Only social support was inversely associated with poor physical HRQOL (OR and 95% CI for medium social support: 0.45 and 0.21-0.94), and a significant interaction between AQ and job control was observed (p=0.02), suggesting that high job control was associated with poor physical HRQOL among workers with high AQ, whereas low job control tended to be associated with poor physical HRQOL among others. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that AS tendencies have a negative effect on workers’ HRQOL and social support is a primary factor in maintaining HRQOL. Moreover, a structured work environment can maintain physical HRQOL in workers with high AS tendencies since higher job control will be stressful.
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4. Kreslins A, Robertson AE, Melville C. {{The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis}}. {Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health};2015;9:22.
Anxiety is a common problem in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the evidence for the use of psychosocial interventions to manage anxiety in this population. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was the primary intervention modality studied. A comprehensive systematic search and study selection process was conducted. Separate statistical analyses were carried out for clinician-, parent-, and self-reported outcome measures. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by removing any outlying studies and any studies that did not use a CBT intervention. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare individual and group delivery of treatment. Ten randomised control trials involving a total of 470 participants were included. The overall SMD was d = 1.05 (95 % CI 0.45, 1.65; z = 3.45, p = 0.0006) for clinician- reported outcome measures; d = 1.00 (95%CI 0.21, 1.80; z = 2.47, p = 0.01) for parent-reported outcome measures; and d = 0.65 (95%CI -0.10, 1.07; z = 1.63, p = 0.10) for self-reported outcome measures. Clinician- and parent-reported outcome measures showed that psychosocial interventions were superior to waitlist and treatment-as-usual control conditions at post-treatment. However, the results of self-reported outcome measures failed to reach significance. The sensitivity analyses did not significantly change these results and the subgroup analysis indicated that individual treatment was more effective than group treatment. The main limitations of this review were the small number of included studies as well as the clinical and methodological variability between studies.
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5. Veatch OJ, Goldman SE, Adkins KW, Malow BA. {{Melatonin in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: How Does the Evidence Fit Together?}}. {J Nat Sci};2015;1(7):e125.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions, affecting 1 in 68 children in the United States alone. Sleep disturbance, particularly insomnia, is very common in children diagnosed with ASD, with evidence supporting overlapping neurobiological and genetic underpinnings. One of the most well studied mechanisms related to ASD and insomnia is dysregulation of the melatonin pathway, which has been observed in many individuals with ASD compared to typically developing controls. Furthermore, variation in genes whose products regulate endogenous melatonin modify sleep patterns in humans and have also been implicated in some cases of ASD. However, the relationship between comorbid insomnia, melatonin processing, and genes that regulate endogenous melatonin levels in ASD is complex and requires further study to fully elucidate. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current findings related to the effects of genetic variation in the melatonergic pathway on risk for expression of sleep disorders in children with ASD. In addition, functional findings related to endogenous levels of melatonin and pharmacokinetic profiles in this patient population are evaluated.
6. Wakimizu R, Fujioka H. {{Analysis of the Issues and Needs of Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities in Japan Using Focus Group Interviews}}. {J Nurs Res};2015 (Jun 30)
BACKGROUND: The number of Japanese children with developmental disabilities (DDs) has seen a steady increase in recent years. The parents and families of children with DD experience distress both at the time of DD diagnosis and afterward. AIM: This study aimed to elucidate the issues and needs of the parents of children with DD to facilitate the development of effective support strategies necessary to help the family handle the special needs of their child with DD. METHODS: Japanese-speaking parents with children who were aged 3-14 years and currently being treated in a hospital for DDs were invited to participate in one of three focus groups. A trained moderator led each 90-minute audio-recorded group using a semistructured interview guide. All transcripts were coded using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Six categories of parents’ significant issues were identified, with three of the categories classified as critical needs. CONCLUSIONS: The issues and needs identified in this study are useful for developing an effective family support program and a related performance framework. Key concerns include providing relevant information support, providing counseling and consultation support for parents and siblings, and providing resources to children with DD that are necessary to help them deal effectively with their disabilities.
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7. Weeks S, Atlas A. {{Clinical audit for occupational therapy intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: sampling steps and sample size calculation}}. {BMC Res Notes};2015;8:282.
A priori sample size calculations are used to determine the adequate sample size to estimate the prevalence of the target population with good precision. However, published audits rarely report a priori calculations for their sample size. This article discusses a process in health services delivery mapping to generate a comprehensive sampling frame, which was used to calculate an a priori sample size for a targeted clinical record audit. We describe how we approached methodological and definitional issues in the following steps: (1) target population definition, (2) sampling frame construction, and (3) a priori sample size calculation. We recommend this process for clinicians, researchers, or policy makers when detailed information on a reference population is unavailable.
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8. Yoo HJ, Woo RS, Cho SC, Kim BN, Kim JW, Shin MS, Park TW, Son JW, Chung US, Park S, Park M, Kim SA. {{Genetic association analyses of neuregulin 1 gene polymorphism with endopheontype for sociality of Korean autism spectrum disorders family}}. {Psychiatry Res};2015 (Jun 30);227(2-3):366-368.
To determine the genetic association between qualitative and quantitative traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neuregulin 1 (NRG1)-a schizophrenia candidate gene-we examined six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NRG1 using a family-based association test (FBAT) in Korean families with ASD. rs35753505 and rs6994992 SNPs in NRG1 revealed a statistically significant family-based association with three quantitative traits for sociality.
