1. Alderson-Day B, McGonigle-Chalmers M. {{Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? Category Use in Problem-solving in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Jul 30)
Fourteen children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and fourteen age-matched typically-developing (TD) controls were tested on an adapted version of the Twenty Questions Task (Mosher and Hornsby in Studies in cognitive growth. Wiley, New York, pp 86-102, 1966) to examine effects of content, executive and verbal IQ factors on category use in problem-solving (age range 8-17). Across conditions participants with ASD asked questions that focussed on smaller categories than controls. Specific group differences were observed in the handling of abstract content and response to additional working memory demands. In addition, post hoc regression analysis indicated that VIQ predicted performance in ASD but not TD participants. The implications for theories of category processing in autism are discussed.
2. Arpino C, Sinibaldi Vallebona P, Gaudi S, Rezza G. {{Polyomaviruses and autism: more than simple association?}}. {J Neurovirol} (Aug);16(4):330-331; author reply 332-333.
3. Barba L. {{A one-stop shop for autism services}}. {Behav Healthc} (Jun);30(6):28, 30-21.
4. Institute of Medicine (US) Immunization Safety Review Committee. {{Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism}}.2004
This eighth and final report of the Immunization Safety Review Committee examines the hypothesis that vaccines, specifically the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines, are causally associated with autism. The committee reviewed the extant published and unpublished epidemiological studies regarding causality and studies of potential biologic mechanisms by which these immunizations might cause autism. The committee concludes that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism. The committee also concludes that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. The committee further finds that potential biological mechanisms for vaccine-induced autism that have been generated to date are theoretical only. The committee does not recommend a policy review of the current schedule and recommendations for the administration of either the MMR vaccine or thimerosal-containing vaccines. The committee recommends a public health response that fully supports an array of vaccine safety activities. In addition, the committee recommends that available funding for autism research be channeled to the most promising areas. The committee makes additional recommendations regarding surveillance and epidemiological research, clinical studies, and communication related to these vaccine safety concerns. Please see Box ES-1 for a summary of all conclusions and recommendations.
5. Kochhar P, Batty MJ, Liddle EB, Groom MJ, Scerif G, Liddle PF, Hollis CP. {{Autistic spectrum disorder traits in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder}}. {Child Care Health Dev} (Jul 27)
Abstract Background Current classification systems do not allow for comorbid diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ADHD are often screened for ASD during clinical assessment and when recruited to clinical trials. We predicted that children with ADHD would have more autistic traits than controls and that certain traits would be more prevalent. Methods The clinically referred sample consisted of 30 children with ADHD and 30 matched controls aged 9-15 years. Children were screened for ASD traits using the Social Aptitudes Scale (SAS) and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). Results We found that ASD traits were significantly higher in children with ADHD than controls. None of the children received a diagnosis of autism or ASD. However, a large proportion (28% using the SCQ and 62% using the SAS) of children with ADHD reached screening thresholds for a predictive diagnosis of ASD. Relative to controls, children with ADHD had significantly higher levels of communication and social deficits, but not repetitive behaviours. Conclusion Further work is needed to establish whether autistic-like communication and social difficulties in children with ADHD are part of the broader ASD phenotype or are specific to ADHD.
6. Tepest R, Jacobi E, Gawronski A, Krug B, Moller-Hartmann W, Lehnhardt FG, Vogeley K. {{Corpus callosum size in adults with high-functioning autism and the relevance of gender}}. {Psychiatry Res} (Jul 30);183(1):38-43.
The goal of the study was to investigate the size of the corpus callosum (CC) and its subsegments in relation to total brain volume (TBV) as an empirical indicator of impaired connectivity in autism with special respect to gender. In MRI data sets of 29 adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) and 29 age-, gender- and IQ-matched control subjects, the TBV was measured and the CC was analyzed as a whole and in subsegments employing two different manual segmentation procedures. With respect to diagnosis, there were no significant differences in the dependent variables (CC, CC subsegments, and TBV). With respect to gender, only TBV was significantly increased in males compared with females, resulting in a significantly decreased CC/TBV ratio in males. This finding, however, was independent from gender and can be fully attributed to brain size. Our findings do not support the following hypotheses: (1) a hypothesis of impaired CC in HFA adults as a subgroup of patients with autism spectrum disorders, and (2) the sexual dimorphism hypothesis of the CC.
