1. Abdullah NM, Moness HM, Ali MWE, Abdelsamei EM, Hassan EE, Meshref DA. Role of IL-6 gene polymorphisms in children with autism spectrum disorders. Ital J Pediatr;2026 (Apr 11)

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social interaction, and communication skills, along with restricted or repetitive behaviors. The diagnosis of ASD depends on behavioral parameters. Numerous studies have reported immune system abnormalities and proposed a potential role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of ASD. This study aims to assess the correlation between specific cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), and particular IL-6 polymorphisms, including IL-6-174G/C (rs1800795) gene polymorphism, IL-6-572 C/G (rs1800796) gene polymorphism and IL-6-597G/A (rs1800797) gene polymorphism among children with ASD. METHODS: The current study included 100 children with ASD were recruited during their regular follow up to Pediatric Neuro-Psychiatry Clinic of Minia University Hospital of Children. They diagnosed according to DSM-5 ASD criteria. A another 100 children were recruited as control group by simple randomly selected school (pre & elementary school) in Mina Governate, Upper Egypt, their ages and sex matched with the ASD children, they were apparently neuropsychiatric and developmentally normal and free from any chronic systemic illness. The participants were assessed for serum IL-6 levels and single-nucleotide changes in IL-6-174G/C, IL-6-572 C/G and IL-6-597G/A gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: The prevalence of the GG genotype and G allele of the IL-6-174G/C gene polymorphism was significantly higher in ASD patients compared to healthy control (P value = 0.0002, 0.03 respectively). In contrast, the GC genotype and C allele of IL-6 -174G/C gene polymorphism were significantly elevated in the control group compared to children with ASD, indicating a protective role against ASD in the Egyptian population. The prevalence of the CG genotype, GG genotype, and G allele of the IL-6-572 C/G gene polymorphism was significantly higher in ASD patients compared to control individuals, indicating an increased risk of ASD within the Egyptian population. The IL-6-597G/A gene polymorphism analysis revealed no significant differences between the two groups in GG and GA genotypes or allelic frequencies. Nevertheless, the AA genotype was only found in the autistic group. Furthermore, ASD patients exhibited significantly higher serum levels of IL-6 than the healthy controls. The GG genotype distribution of IL-6-174G/C gene polymorphism was significantly associated with increased serum levels of IL-6. CONCLUSION: The IL-6 (-174G/C) gene polymorphism (GG genotype) was associated with ASD. Moreover, the (CG + GG) genotypes of IL-6-572 C/G gene polymorphism were associated with ASD, and the (AA genotype) of IL-6-597G/A gene polymorphism was detected only in ASD. This indicates their role in the increased incidence of ASD among the Egyptian population. In addition, IL-6 serum level was significantly elevated in ASD.

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2. Ai W, Yu JX, Jacob BK, Lai MC. A novel context-discrepancy assessment of impression management facets in autistic and non-autistic adults: an initial validation. Mol Autism;2026 (Apr 10)

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3. Bhagyalatha U, Sahoo BK, Muppidi S. Hybrid groupers-moray orangutan optimization algorithm-based dense-resolution network for autism spectrum disorder detection using multimodal data. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging;2026 (Mar 27);360:112204.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving cognitive and social impairments. Precise diagnosis is vital for effective intervention. However, conventional diagnostic techniques exhibited poor generalization, and high error rates while dealing with subtle patterns in neuroimaging or behavioral datasets. To resolve these concerns, this research introduces the Groupers and Moray Orangutan Optimization Algorithm based Dense-Resolution Network (GMOA-DRNet). The multimodal inputs consist of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain images and autism-related phenotypic data. Initially, input brain images are pre-processed by Geometric Mean filters and Region of Interest (RoI) extraction. Then, Functional connectivity-based pivotal region are identified using GMOA. After that, feature extraction is performed by Tamura features and Gradient Directional Pattern (GDP). Concurrently, autism-related data is normalized based on the hyperbolic tangent function, and relevant features are selected using ANOVA. Moreover, data augmentation is conducted using the Adaptive Synthetic Sampling Approach (ADASYN) technique. The extracted features and augmented data are used for ASD detection by the DRNet, trained using GMOA, which combines Groupers and Moray Eels Optimization (GMEO) and Orangutan Optimization Algorithm (OOA). Moreover, GMOA-DRNet achieved better performance with an accuracy of 92.77%, sensitivity of 92.52%, specificity of 92.77%, and a False Omission Rate (FOR) of 0.080.

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4. Bottema-Beutel K. When Ableism Supplants Evidence: Federal Autism Guidance in the United States. Autism;2026 (Apr 10):13623613261439928.

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5. Gámez Martínez S, Lovatón Romero G, Alcañiz Raya M, Hervás Zúñiga A. An Exploratory Analysis of Eye-Tracking During a Virtual Reality Social Cognition Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw;2026 (Apr 11):21522715261439451.

The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is based on clinical judgment, as there are no clearly identified markers to determine the presence of this condition. Gaze patterns have been proposed as a potential biomarker for autism. This study aims to conduct an exploratory analysis of the eye-tracking data collected during a virtual reality-based intervention for social cognition in autistic children. Specifically, we evaluated the variations in social orientation toward social stimuli, the association of gaze patterns with autistic traits, theory of mind (ToM) and task performance, and the mediating effect of attentional mechanisms on the relationship between social cognition performance and autism symptomatology. Our findings identified an increase in social orientation time toward social stimuli, but eye-tracking measures did not significantly predict autism symptom severity or ToM ability. The mediation analysis also failed to find a significant mediating effect of gaze patterns on the relationship between task performance and autism severity. This study points to VR as a promising tool for improving social orienting in autistic children, although there is a need to further investigate the potential of eye-tracking measures as a behavioral marker for predicting social cognition performance.

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6. Kenworthy L, Baczewski L, Gerber AH, Pugliese CE, Armour AC, Csumitta KD, Reimann GE, Candy C, Wallace GL, Fritz MS. Executive function challenges persist into young adulthood and predict mental health outcomes in autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry;2026 (Apr 11)

BACKGROUND: Executive functioning (EF) challenges are common among autistic youth and persist throughout childhood and adolescence; they have been linked to important outcomes, including poorer mental health, adaptive skills, and overall quality of life. Despite the significance of EF in autism, few studies have examined the trajectory of EF challenges longitudinally, and those that have are constrained by small sample sizes, limited age ranges, and a focus on global EF at the expense of specific EF subdomains. METHODS: This study examines the trajectory of parent-reported EF flexibility, working memory, and inhibition challenges in autistic youth from early childhood to young adulthood and their relationship to parent-reported aggression, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Leveraging a longitudinal sample of 313 participants (age range = 2-25, 79 females, mean age at first visit = 9.5 ± 4.6 years, age range at first visit 2.6-23.1 years; mean FSIQ = 103.3, FSIQ range 52-159; mean number of visits per participant = 2.3, range 2-9) across 941 observations, multilevel growth curve modeling was used to examine the trajectory of EF challenges and their relationship to mental health across time. RESULTS: We found that EF challenges persist in autistic people from 2 to 25 years old, regardless of cognitive ability and parent education level. Although symptoms of aggression decline with age, depression symptoms increase with age in this sample of autistic people. Notably, autistic females are at unique risk for increasing anxiety in adolescence. Flexibility challenges in particular predict mental health outcomes across anxiety, depression, and aggression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the enduring nature of EF challenges among autistic people during childhood and into young adulthood, as well as their influence on mental health. EF and flexibility, in particular, are potent and persistent yet malleable predictors of key outcomes, making them important targets for intervention.

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7. Kocyigit S, Akgun-Dogan O, Hatırnaz Ng O, Alanay Y, Guven F. Pilot study: the impact of simulation-based pediatric basic life support training on the performance of caregivers of children with Rett syndrome. BMC Med Educ;2026 (Apr 10)

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8. Laurine R, Olivier D, Marie-Cécile V, Chiara CA. Dentists’ Perceptions Regarding Orofacial Care for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in France and Italy. Spec Care Dentist;2026 (Mar-Apr);46(2):e70172.

AIM: Dental care for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging because of distinct sensory and behavioral profiles. This quantitative study assessed dentists’ perceptions and practice regarding children with autism in France and Italy. METHODS AND RESULTS: A questionnaire was distributed through professional associations, social networks, and dental schools. Analyses in RStudio examined differences in ASD-related knowledge and self-reported confidence when treating children with ASD across countries. In France, specialization in pediatric dentistry was significantly associated with higher knowledge and confidence scores and with treating more children with autism per month. Personal experience with autism was linked to higher knowledge. In Italy, specialization in pediatric dentistry was not significantly associated with knowledge or confidence, but was associated with a higher monthly caseload of children with ASD. Personal experience with autism was linked to higher confidence. Training, during undergraduate education or through continuing education, was associated with higher confidence in both countries and with higher knowledge scores in France. In Italy, associations with knowledge were observed for continuing education. CONCLUSION: Education and specialization appear central to dentists’ preparedness for ASD care. Strengthening undergraduate and continuing training may improve access to and quality of dental care for children with autism.

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9. Lyons AJ, Mhatre MM, Argenio K, Day S, Ternier A, McDermott S, Jones HE. Does human papillomavirus vaccination status differ by disability status in New York city public schools?. Vaccine;2026 (Apr 11);78:128404.

High rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination could eliminate cervical cancer and reduce other HPV-related morbidity. Studies outside of the United States (US) have found lower HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents with Autism and/or intellectual disability (ID) than their peers. This cross-sectional analysis of all 2022-23 New York City (NYC) public school students aged 13-21 used official vaccination records and Individual Educational Plan (IEP) statuses to assess whether HPV vaccination differed for students with Autism, ID, or other IEP conditions compared to no IEP, with COVID-19 vaccination as a control outcome. We used multivariable Poisson regression to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for vaccination status by disability, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. The sample comprised 365,167 students; 2.5% had Autism, 0.9% ID and 19.2% another IEP status. In total, 80.5% had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine and 70.8% one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Students with Autism were less likely (aPR 0.89, 99% CI 0.88, 0.91) and students with ID were as likely (aPR 1.02, 99% CI 1.00, 1.04) to have received an HPV vaccine as those with no IEP, with no differences by IEP status for COVID-19 vaccination. Targeted outreach and education on the HPV vaccine is needed for adolescents with Autism in NYC public schools. Future research should assess barriers to HPV vaccination among this population.

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10. Tse ACY, Lee PH, Poon ETC, Ho AWY, Sun FH, Poon K, Ip PPK, Anderson DI. Cycling Interventions Enhance Executive Function in Children with Autism via Heart Rate Variability Mediation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sports Med Open;2026 (Apr 10);12(1)

BACKGROUND: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit deficits in executive function (EF). Cycling exercise has previously shown to be effective in improving EF. However, the role of different components (e.g., spatial updating and dynamic balance) driving these positive effects remains unclear. This study examined the cognitive effect of cycling interventions with varying navigation and balance demands through a heart rate variability (HRV) mediating model. METHODS: Fifty-one children with ASD (M(age) = 8.78 years; SD = .54) were randomized into four groups: Learning to Bicycle (LTB, n = 13), Bicycle Treadmill (BT, n = 12), Cycling with Training Wheels (TW, n = 14), and Stationary Cycling (SC, n = 12). The interventions lasted for 8 sessions over 2 weeks. EF (Tower of London, TOL; Corsi Block Tapping Task, CBTT; Go/No-go, GNG; Children’s Color Trails Test, CCTT) and HRV (RMSSD) were assessed at baseline (T1), mid-intervention (T2) and post-intervention (T3). RESULTS: All EF domains improved significantly in LTB and TW (ps < .001, d = .56-2.15) and so did HRV in LTB (ps < .001, d = 1.24). HRV partially mediated EF improvements in LTB (β = .35-1.62) and TW (β = .31-1.38), but not in BT and SC. BT showed modest to moderate EF gains (d = .07-.97), while SC showed minimal effects (d = .00-.59). CONCLUSIONS: Cycling interventions with spatial updating and dynamic balance components benefited EF the most in children with ASD, with HRV as a partial mediator. These findings provided insight into optimizing exercise interventions to address EF deficits in children with ASD. Trial registration NCT07295912 (registered retrospectively on 19th Dec 2025 at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT07295912 . We acknowledge that best practice is prospective registration per ICMJE guidelines).

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11. Wang J, Shen J, Pang Y, Liu J, Zhao L, Sun M, Yang Y. Associations of inflammatory biomarkers with brain atrophy and clinical scores in schizophrenia patients with autistic features. BMC Res Notes;2026 (Apr 10)

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12. Wang Y, Chan WL, Li F, Cai J, Cheung YT, Lai ETH, Leung OLK, Liang S, Ku DTL, Shing MMK, Fu ECH, Yau JPW, Lee ACW, Lu ER, Leung AWK, Cheng FWT, Ho WWS, Gao Z, Song Y, Liu SKY, Tsang L, Yuen ANY, Lee TMC, Chan GCF, Liu APY, Tso WWY. Neurobehavioral outcomes and associated risk factors in pediatric brain tumor survivors. J Neurooncol;2026 (Apr 11);177(2)

PURPOSE: Survival rates for children with brain tumors improve, highlighting the importance of understanding the long-term neurobehavioral outcomes because of its impact on children’s well-being and quality of life. This study investigated the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and emotional/behavioral difficulties in pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS), and identified the risks and protective factors on mental well-being. METHODS: A territory-wide retrospective cohort included 274 PBTS registered in the Hong Kong Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Study Group Registry. In addition, a cross-sectional follow-up survey on mental well-being was completed by 107 PBTS during survivorship follow-up. Emotional/behavioral difficulties, health-related quality of life, parental stress, and sleep variables were assessed by the survey and benchmarked against previously published Hong Kong-based reference/community cohorts. RESULTS: Among 274 PBTS, 10.6% had ADHD and 6.9% had ASD, which are significantly higher than the general pediatric population prevalence. They had more emotional/behavioral symptoms, higher parental stress, and poorer quality of life. Younger age at diagnosis, seizure history, and supratentorial tumors were linked to more difficulties. Radiotherapy was associated with reduced quality of life. Better sleep correlated with fewer ADHD and emotional symptoms. CONCLUSION: PBTS had increased risk of ADHD and ASD, and are more vulnerable to peer-relationship difficulties, poorer mental health, and quality of life. Improving sleep could be key to reducing neurobehavioral challenges. Implementing routine neurobehavioral monitoring, including sleep assessments, is crucial for enhancing survivorship care and overall well-being.

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13. Warner JN, Sim LA, Hatley-Cotter A, Long J, Weiss K, Vater L, Iacobone R, Black WR. Group-Based Psychological Interventions for Autistic Youth with Chronic Pain: Narrative Review and Practice Considerations for Intensive Interdisciplinary Pediatric Pain Treatment. J Clin Psychol Med Settings;2026 (Apr 11)

Emerging work characterizing youth with chronic pain increasingly recognizes a large cohort of youth with co-occurring chronic pain and autism. This development has prompted questions about how to adapt Intensive Interdisciplinary Pediatric Pain Treatment (IIPTs) and the group-based treatments commonly used in these settings to improve accessibility, acceptability, and utility for autistic participants. There is a need for clinically oriented literature that IIPT programs and clinical trialists can use to guide adaptation efforts. Given long-term risks of inadequately treated pediatric pain, we argue it is clinically and ethically important to identify reasonable autism-informed adjustments within existing IIPT frameworks, even as more empirical work unfolds to inform nuance. In this narrative review, we synthesize evidence from pediatric pain psychology and autism intervention literatures to identify overlapping mechanisms and opportunities for adaptation, with a specific focus on group-based CBT/ACT-oriented treatments delivered in IIPTs. We summarize emerging clinical characteristics of autistic adolescents enrolled in IIPTs, bridge autism and pediatric pain group treatment literature, map that literature onto pediatric pain targets and autism-informed IIPT group design considerations and provide practical examples of IIPT group modifications extended from the existing data and the authors’ clinical experience delivering group-based pain psychology services to autistic youth in IIPTs. We also highlight constraints of group formats for autistic youth and emphasize flexible pathways of care.

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