1. Adıgüzel E, Bağçovan B, Bozkurt NM, Ünal G, Waszkiewicz N. Intermittent Fasting and Akkermansia muciniphila Exert Independent and Combined Benefits on Behavioral and Neurobiological Deficits in a VPA-Induced Autism Rat Model. Nutrients. 2026; 18(5).

Background/Objectives: Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and cognitive impairments, with growing evidence implicating neuroinflammation, disrupted autophagy, apoptosis, GABAergic dysfunction, and gut permeability in its pathophysiology. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the independent and combined effects of intermittent fasting (IF) and the next-generation probiotic Akkermansia muciniphila on behavioral outcomes and molecular markers in prenatal valproic acid (VPA)-induced autism model. Methods: Male rat offspring were allocated into five groups (n = 8 per group): control, VPA, IF, probiotic, and IF + probiotic. The groups other than the control group were exposed to 500 mg/kg VPA prenatally to establish an autism model. Intermittent fasting (16:8 time-restricted feeding) and Akkermansia muciniphila (1 × 10(9) cfu/day) were applied for 30 days. Behavioral tests (stereotypy, social interaction, memory, and anhedonia) were performed during the last eight days of the treatment period, and the rats were sacrificed the following day for collection of brain tissue and serum samples. Proinflammatory, apoptotic, autophagic, and GABAergic markers were measured in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while zonulin levels were measured in the serum. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results: Prenatal VPA exposure worsened all behavioral and molecular parameters. All treatments improved stereotypy, social interaction, and memory, whereas anhedonia improved only in the combined treatment group. The treatments also decreased neuroinflammation and apoptosis-related imbalance while enhancing autophagy and GABAergic markers. In terms of apoptosis- and autophagy-related markers, the IF-only and probiotic-only treatments were effective in the prefrontal cortex, while the IF + probiotic treatment showed its effect in both brain regions. Lastly, all treatments were successful in alleviating elevated serum zonulin levels. Conclusions: Intermittent fasting and Akkermansia muciniphila alleviate VPA-induced behavioral and neurobiological impairments. The combined treatment, in particular, offers stronger and multi-targeted therapeutic potential.

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2. Axelsson AK, Ivarsson M, Ullenhag A. Relationships Between Frequency of Attendance, Engagement and Independence in Everyday Activities Among Children and Youth With Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities: The Association With Comprehension Difficulties. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2026; 39(2): e70209.

BACKGROUND: Participation (attendance and engagement) is important for children’s development and well-being. The aim was to study the relationships between attendance, engagement and independence in everyday activities of children with intellectual and other developmental disabilities and to compare patterns between children with and without comprehension difficulties. METHOD: Participation and independence (FUNDES-Child-SE) were measured in 131 Swedish participants (aged 5-18 years). The analysis included Mann-Whitney U and Spearman’s rank correlation tests. RESULTS: The group without comprehension difficulties attended with a frequency more similar to typically developing peers, with higher engagement and independence. There were very strong overall attendance-engagement correlations (r = 0.91 for the group with comprehension difficulties and r = 0.87 for the group without) and attendance-independence correlations (r = 0.86 and r = 0.87), as well as a strong correlation between engagement and independence (r = 0.78 and r = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Despite strong overall correlations between dimensions, differences across specific activity items underscore the need for targeted assessment and intervention. Children with comprehension difficulties attend everyday activities less often and are less engaged and independent when doing so compared to children with other disabilities. There is a strong association between overall attendance, engagement and independence in everyday activities in children with disabilities, but the strength of the association differs across specific activities. There is a need for targeted, individualised assessment and intervention in children with disabilities. eng.

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3. Lamanna J, Meldolesi J. Correction: Lamanna, J.; Meldolesi, J. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Brain Areas Involved, Neurobiological Mechanisms, Diagnoses and Therapies. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 2423. Int J Mol Sci. 2026; 27(5).

There was an error in the original publication […].

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4. Nimbley E, Peebles I, Loomes R, Clark E, Austin A, Duffy F. ‘That’s Not Our Pathway’: Parent and Carer Experiences of Eating Disorder Focused Family Therapy (FT-ED) for Autistic Young People With Anorexia Nervosa. Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2026.

OBJECTIVE: Autistic people report poorer treatment outcomes for their eating disorder (ED) in comparison to non-autistic peers. Eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) is the leading outpatient intervention for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of parents of autistic young people who have received FT-ED, and any recommended adaptations to treatment. METHOD: Parents of an autistic young person who had received FT-ED within the last 3 years were invited to take part in interviews. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twelve parents of autistic young people with AN completed interviews and analysis generated four core themes: (1) Questioning the principles of FT-ED, (2) Navigating the FT-ED process, (3) Parental (dis)empowerment, (4) Adapting FT-ED. CONCLUSIONS: This paper is the first exploration of parents of autistic young peoples’ experience of FT-ED for AN, and it highlights possible treatment adaptations for this population. It is part of a larger body of work to consider adaptations to FT-ED, with the aim of making ED treatments more effective, accessible and acceptable for autistic young people and their families.

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5. Serang S, Reese AH, Edmunds SR. An autoregressive latent change score model for randomized pretest, posttest, follow-up designs. Behav Res Methods. 2026; 58(3).

Randomized pretest, posttest, follow-up designs test treatment effects, but popular approaches for analyzing them such as the ANOVA or ANCOVA models have limitations, including lower power for the former and the use of residualized change scores for the latter. Latent change score models (LCSMs) have been proposed to address these issues, but none addresses both simultaneously. We develop an autoregressive LCSM that preserves the change score interpretation without resorting to residualization and show that it performs at least as well if not better than competing alternatives using a small simulation study. We also illustrate how it compares to other approaches using data from children at high risk for autism spectrum disorders.

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6. Shaukat S, Hassan MF, Khalid QUA, Rathore FA. Effectiveness of Aquatic Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Pak Med Assoc. 2026; 76(2): 277-9.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by repetitive or restricted behaviours and social communication deficits. The reported cases are on the rise. In recent years, sensorybased physical activity programmes have been incorporated into therapeutic practices for children with ASD. Among these, aquatic therapy is a multimodal intervention integrating sensory, social and motor components in a structured environment. To reduce the physical burden of movement, these water-based interventions utilize properties like buoyancy, resistance and hydrostatic pressure. Recent literature suggests that aquatic therapy can be an effective adjunct in the management of ASD, especially in enhancing social participation and motor skills. However, therapists’ training and standardization in protocols need further exploration. This mini review discusses the various kinds of aquatic therapy and explores the evidence for the integration of aquatic therapy in clinical and educational settings for children and adolescents with ASD.

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7. Tapia PJ, Rivera BI, Espinoza CS, Stolzenbach F, Yáñez MJ, Kerr B. Dysregulated Cholesterol Clearance via CYP46A1 Contributes to Cerebellar Sterol Imbalance in Mecp2-Null Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2026; 27(5).

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor deficits, partly attributed to cerebellar dysfunction. RTT is primarily caused by mutations in the gene encoding the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), which has been implicated in cholesterol homeostasis by mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Given that brain cholesterol is primarily synthesized de novo and that disrupted cholesterol homeostasis is linked to various neurological disorders, we aimed to investigate cholesterol regulation in the cerebellum of Mecp2-null mice, a well-established RTT model. We measured total cholesterol levels in cerebellar tissue and cerebellar synaptosomes and assessed the expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and intracellular transport. Our results show significantly elevated total cholesterol in both cerebellar tissue and synaptosomes. Furthermore, we identified a marked reduction in CYP46A1 expression, which is essential for the elimination of encephalon sterols. In contrast, key cholesterol biosynthetic regulators (Srebp2, Hmgcs1, Sqle) showed no significant changes in expression, suggesting an impaired cerebellar cholesterol turnover-driven by defective clearance-rather than enhanced synthesis may underlie the metabolic imbalance observed in the cerebellum of the RTT mouse model. Altogether, these findings provide a mechanistic insight into how MeCP2 deficiency disrupts cerebellar cholesterol homeostasis and highlight cholesterol clearance pathways as potential contributors to RTT pathology and a factor to consider for further RTT therapeutic approaches.

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8. Uzoaru F, Preston MA, Loux T, Ross L. Medicaid Expansion and Medication Use Among U.S. Children with ASD or ADHD: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis Comparing Before and During the COVID-19 Periods. Healthcare (Basel). 2026; 14(5).

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently rely on pharmacological treatment to manage core symptoms. This study examined how Medicaid expansion and the COVID-19 pandemic influenced medication use among children with ASD or ADHD, including those with comorbid diagnoses. METHODS: We analyzed 2016-2023 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) for children aged 3-17 years with caregiver-reported diagnoses. Logistic regression models assessed the association between Medicaid expansion, the pandemic period, and current medication use, including an interaction between expansion and pandemic period. Analyses were conducted for the full sample (N = 35,198) and a subgroup with comorbid ASD and ADHD (N = 4298). RESULTS: Current Medicaid expansion was associated with significantly lower odds of medication use in the full sample (aOR = 0.68, p < 0.001) but not the comorbid group (aOR = 0.98, p = 0.9). Medication use showed no significant change during the COVID-19 period in either the full sample (aOR = 0.99; p > 0.90) or the comorbid subgroup (aOR = 1.22; p = 0.4). A significant interaction indicating increased odds of medication use during the pandemic in expansion states was observed only in the full sample, although a similar but non-significant pattern appeared in the comorbid group. Age, race, and insurance-related differences were significant across groups, with coverage consistency playing a larger role in the full sample. Sensitivity analyses, excluding the 2020 survey year and modeling pre/post pandemic periods, supported the robustness of findings. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion was associated with patterns consistent with buffering pandemic-related disruptions in medication use among children with ASD or ADHD overall, but those with co-occurring conditions remain especially vulnerable.

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