1. Ahmad Z, Hadad BS, Mazuz Y, Ganel T, Freud E. Reduced Dissociation Between Perception and Action in Autistic Individuals. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Feb 20)

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

2. An S, Fan L, Wu Y, Su X, Zhu Q, Yao N, Su C, Huang ZG, Li Y. Frequency-dependent brain state dynamic alterations in autism spectrum disorder: A co-activation pattern analysis. J Psychiatr Res;2026 (Feb 10);196:234-243.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects normal brain development and results in impaired brain function. Most studies have focused on connectivity changes within the traditional low-frequency range, whereas the frequency-dependent nature of brain dynamics remains largely unexplored. This study employed whole-brain co-activation pattern (CAP) analysis to investigate the frequency-dependent spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous brain activity in ASD across three frequency bands: LFO (0.01-0.1 Hz), slow-5 (0.01-0.027 Hz), and slow-4 (0.027-0.073 Hz). Resting-state fMRI data were obtained from the NYU site of the ABIDE I database, comprising 52 individuals with ASD and 52 typical controls (TCs). Six CAPs were identified within each frequency band using k-means clustering. We then calculated and compared CAP dynamics, including the appearance frequency, duration, entry rate, and transition probability. Our results revealed that (1) CAPs across different frequency bands exhibited overall similar spatial patterns but showed significant differences in temporal evolution, with the slow-5 band demonstrating lower dynamic variability; (2) compared to the TC group, individuals with ASD exhibited abnormal brain dynamics in both the LFO and slow-4 bands, whereas no significant differences were observed in the slow-5 band; and (3) significant correlations were found between the dynamic metrics of CAPs in the LFO and slow-5 bands and the severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) in individuals with ASD. These findings reveal frequency-specific abnormalities in brain dynamics in ASD, providing new insights into its time-varying neural mechanisms.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

3. Binns AV, Tucker P, Denusik L, Rajesh Kumar V, Oram J. The More Than Words® parent-delivered program for autistic children and those with social communication challenges: a single-arm pragmatic feasibility trial. Pilot Feasibility Stud;2026 (Feb 20)

BACKGROUND: Pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLPs) frequently use parent coaching interventions such as the More Than Words® (MTW) program to support young autistic children and others with social communication challenges. While some promising evidence exists for MTW, outcomes from previous studies have been mixed and research to date has primarily been conducted in controlled settings, limiting generalizability to real-world practice. To support future pragmatic randomized controlled trials (RCTs), this study aimed to assess the feasibility of a MTW evaluation protocol that had been co-constructed by researchers, program developers, and expert SLPs for use in community settings. METHODS: This pragmatic, single-arm, pre-post feasibility study implemented the co-constructed evaluation protocol during MTW programs delivered by community-based SLPs as a part of standard care in a publicly funded service. We assessed the following dimensions of methodological feasibility: (a) recruitment capability; (b) feasibility, acceptability, and practicality of data collection and analysis procedures; and (c) preliminary outcome trends. RESULTS: Of those approached, 45% of SLPs and 57% of parent-child dyads agreed to participate. Four of the five enrolled SLPs delivered their MTW program as planned and none of the 21 enrolled parent-child dyads withdrew from the study. Outcome measure completion ranged from 48 to 81%, with 4 dyads providing little to no data. SLPs viewed study methods and measures as acceptable and feasible and researcher coding of video-recorded outcome measures was reliable and practical. Preliminary outcome trend analyses indicated post-program gains in children’s early communication skills and communicative participation by parent report, and in child, parent, and dyadic interaction behaviors coded by the researchers. All parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child benefited from the MTW program and most reported increased self-efficacy in supporting their child’s communication. CONCLUSIONS: This feasibility trial offers a valuable contribution to advancing pragmatic clinical trial methods for use with MTW and other similar programs, highlighting both the challenges and benefits of moving beyond controlled experimental settings. Although findings may not fully generalize, new insights into participant recruitment, data collection, and methodological feasibility are applicable more broadly and can inform future pragmatic RCT development for evaluating effectiveness of community-based caregiver-delivered programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT06847347).

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

4. Binte Mohd Ikhsan SN, Holt R, Ruigrok A, Man J, Parsons T, Gibbs K, Bullock E, Baranger A, Allison C, Doherty M, Ghosh A, Terčon J, Van den Bosch K, Baron-Cohen S. Priorities for change for autistic people across Europe. Mol Autism;2026 (Feb 19);17(1):12.

BACKGROUND: Despite rising rates of autism prevalence, there remains a pressing need to enhance the quality of life for autistic people in Europe and around the world. METHODS: We conducted the 10 Points for Change survey to identify the 10 most important areas that require improvement for autistic people across the region. Data from 1,709 autistic people, parents/carers and members of autism-related organisations residing within the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) were analysed, together with autism-related differences (autistic vs. non-autistic; formal vs. no formal autism diagnosis) and gender differences (male vs. female) in results. RESULTS: Across groups, areas that require the most urgent changes are education, public awareness and understanding of autism, employment, and government funding for autism-specific services. Differences in results between groups reflect their specific needs and experiences. Discrimination is a crucial area for change according to autistic people with formal diagnosis of autism, whereas autistic people without formal diagnosis indicate diagnostic services as a priority for change. According to parents/carers and members of autism-related organisations, changes are also needed to improve social inclusion of autistic people. Other areas of priority for change across all groups include mental healthcare (within top 10 for autistic participants and parents/carers), support with daily living, and post-diagnostic services (the latter two within top 10 for parents/carers and members of autism-related organisations). For some areas, their identification and importance as priorities for change significantly varied with whether participants were autistic or formally diagnosed and autistic participants’ gender. Comparisons across countries with the greatest representation in the survey – Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Poland – revealed consistent priorities. LIMITATIONS: Consideration should be given to issues related to methodology and data availability such as how representative the sample is of countries across the EU and the UK. Autistic people with high support needs might have also been unable to participate directly and responses from carers representing them might not fully reflect their views or provide representative data. CONCLUSION: Change through concerted legislative actions within and across countries in Europe is needed to address the priority areas for change for autistic people. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-026-00706-3.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

5. Cola M, Muscatello RA, Zhang X, Vandekar S, McGonigle T, Corbett BA. Exploring Trajectories of Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth over Adolescence Using Parent- and Self-Report Measures. Res Autism;2026 (Apr);132

BACKGROUND: Autistic youth frequently experience co-occurring anxiety. In non-autistic populations, females are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and demonstrate distinct symptom trajectories across adolescence. Prior research has demonstrated diagnostic group differences in parent- and self-reported anxiety symptoms; however, it is largely unknown if and how symptoms change over puberty. We examine trajectories of anxiety symptoms for autistic and non-autistic youth over a four-year (Y1-Y4) longitudinal study. METHODS: Autistic (N=140) and non-autistic (N=104) youth (ages 10-13 years at Y1) completed the parent- and self-report versions of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, 2(nd) Edition (MASC-2). Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the impact of age, sex, and diagnosis on anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: There was a significant diagnosis-sex interaction (p (FDR) =0.005) on the parent-report of anxiety and a main effect of age (p<0.001). Autistic and non-autistic females showed an increase in anxiety symptoms over time; autistic males showed a slight decrease. There was a main effect of diagnosis (p (FDR) =0.003) on the child-report measure of anxiety symptoms; the effects of age (p (FDR) =0.117) and sex were not significant (p (FDR) =0.305). The relationship between pubertal development and anxiety symptoms differed between the subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Our main findings - that autistic youth demonstrate greater anxiety symptoms than non-autistic youth, with distinct symptom trajectories emerging in females versus males - add to the growing literature aimed at understanding the biopsychosocial factors impacting puberty and emotional functioning across adolescence.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

6. Dayley EE, Durham S, Palumbo MC, Lundell JF, Freeman SM. Oxytocin receptor gene expression in the basal forebrain in autism: association with receptor binding levels and single nucleotide polymorphisms. J Neurodev Disord;2026 (Feb 19)

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

7. Dekkers TJ, Woelk M, Breider S, Hoekstra PJ, van den Hoofdakker BJ, de Bildt A. Behavioral parent training for disruptive behaviors in school-age children with autism: Secondary outcomes of a randomized controlled trial. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry;2026 (Feb 20)

Children with autism often show disruptive behavior problems, which may cause significant impairment. Behavioral parent training is an effective intervention for other children with disruptive behavior, but research in children with autism is relatively scarce. We here report the secondary outcomes of a three-arm randomized controlled trial, comparing face-to-face and blended parent training to a waitlist control condition for children with autism and disruptive behavior. We previously found that face-to-face, but not blended parent training, relative to waitlist control, significantly improved children’s noncompliance and irritability. Knowledge about its effects on parental functioning and other domains of children’s functioning is limited. Using linear regression analyses on an intention-to-treat basis, we investigated parent training effects on a range of parenting (parental satisfaction, parental efficacy, parenting stress, and lax, overreactive and verbose parenting styles) and child outcomes (hyperactivity, emotional problems, conduct problems, peer problems, prosocial behavior, and adaptive behavior). We found that face-to-face, but not blended parent training, improved parental self-efficacy and decreased overreactive parenting relative to the waitlist condition. We found no intervention effects of either parent training format on any of the other outcomes. Overall, our findings add to the evidence for face-to-face behavioral parent training as an effective intervention for disruptive behavior in children with autism by illustrating that not only children but also parents improve. This randomized controlled trial was registered in the Dutch Trial Register (#22,042).

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

8. Grossman A. Association between historical lead exposure, population density, and autism prevalence: a county-level ecological study in Norway. Front Neurosci;2026;20:1729731.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has increased markedly across high-income countries, including Norway, yet environmental drivers remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that historical lead exposure may inversely associate with ASD risk and potentially suppress the effects of vehicle emissions associated with urbanicity. METHODS: We conducted a county-level ecological study using ASD prevalence data from the Norwegian Patient Register for children aged 6-12 years (born 1999-2005). Mean dental lead concentrations, measured in deciduous teeth collected between 1990 and 1994 (n = 2,746), served as a proxy for early-life lead exposure. Population density in 2002 was used as a proxy for vehicle emissions associated with urbanicity. ADHD and cerebral palsy (CP) were included as negative controls. Associations with log-transformed ASD prevalence were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Sensitivity analyses examined a later birth cohort and excluded an outlier county. RESULTS: Dental lead levels were inversely associated with ASD prevalence (p < 0.01), while population density was not significantly associated until adjusted for lead exposure (p = 0.08 and p < 0.05 with outlier excluded), consistent with a suppressor effect or negative confounding. No associations were observed for ADHD or CP. In sensitivity analyses, lead remained inversely associated with ASD only in multivariable models, while population density became a significant predictor. CONCLUSION: Higher historical lead exposure was associated with lower ASD prevalence in Norway. Declining lead exposure may have unmasked the neurodevelopmental effects of vehicle emissions. These findings support further investigation into metal interactions and highlight the complexity of environmental influences on ASD risk.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

9. Guerrera S, Venezia I, Logrieco MG, Casula L, Capolino R, Digilio MC, Dentici ML, Macchiaiolo M, Casciani F, Cortellessa F, Sinibaldi L, Bartuli A, Di Tommaso S, D’Elia G, Alesi V, Roberti C, Novelli A, Valeri G, Vicari S. Analyzing the genetic profile of autistic children and adolescents with minimal verbal abilities. Front Genet;2026;17:1647481.

INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive care for autistic youth with severe symptoms and language impairment includes genetic testing to find underlying causes. Identifying a genetic diagnosis helps determine prognosis, guide treatment, assess recurrence risk, and connect families with targeted resources and support networks. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed retrospectively data of a cohort of 60 Autism Spectrum Disorder Minimally Verbal (MV) past age 5 children and adolescents who underwent several genetic investigations and were included in an evaluation protocol including cognitive, adaptive, psychiatric, parental stress and autism characteristics’ evaluations to identify whether there were any specific clinical or genetic characteristics in the group of minimally verbal autistic individuals. RESULTS: The percentage of genetic disorders detected in the series is 22.6%. Two groups of MV autistic individuals were defined: those without a known genetic cause (n = 46, neuropsychological data available for 32 individuals) and those with an associated genetic condition (n = 14, neuropsychological data available for 8 individuals). Most participants in both groups scored below 70 on Nonverbal Intelligence Quotient (NVIQ) (77.5% in the first group versus 77.7% in the latter) and adaptive functioning was impaired in both groups, without significant differences. Autism severity, measured by the ADOS-2, was significantly higher in individuals without causative alteration, particularly in Total Comparison Score. However, no differences were found between groups in restricted and repetitive behaviors. CBCL showed high levels of internalizing and externalizing problems in both groups, with no differences. Similarly, parental stress levels were high in both groups. DISCUSSION: This is the first study analyzing the genotype-phenotype correlation in MV autistic individuals. In this sample, the prevalence of genetic syndromes was found to be twice as high as in the general autistic population (22.6% versus 10%). Regarding the autistic characteristics’ severity which appear to be higher in individuals without genetic causative alteration and the absence of significant differences in cognitive, functional and behavioural characteristics, we hypothesised that, in the MV autistic population without genetic causative alteration, there are specific and unknown characteristics of the MV profile which have a greater impact than the individual genetic condition reported.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

10. Hoidy WH, Essa AM, Essa SM, Chyad DH, Al-Saadi MH. Pro-inflammatory Immune Dysregulation and Genetic Susceptibility in Iraqi Children with Autism: a Tetra-Primer ARMS-PCR Investigation of Interleukin Polymorphisms. J Mol Neurosci;2026 (Feb 20);76(1)

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

11. Ismail H, Abdalla SM, Carman ZT, Sherif M, Lundstrom BN, Eltokhi A. Autism-Related Phenotypes in a Heterozygous Scn2a(R854Q) Mouse Model and Their Partial Rescue via a Potassium Channel Opener. Neuropharmacology;2026 (Feb 20):110889.

The voltage-gated sodium channel Na(V)1.2, encoded by the SCN2A gene, is frequently implicated in neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders, including developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Genotype-phenotype studies show that Na(V)1.2 mutations with mixed gain- (GoF) and loss-of-function (LoF) effects are associated with the most severe clinical outcomes. The R853Q mutation in the second gating charge of Domain II reduces current density by 50-60% and was initially classified as a LoF mutation, suggesting reduced neuronal firing. However, this does not fully explain its recurrent association with DEE and severe ASD. Our recent findings indicate that R853Q induces a gating pore current (I(gp)) in the resting state, introducing a GoF component that may increase cortical neuronal excitability. This mixed GoF/LoF effect may underlie the strong clinical phenotypes observed in patients carrying this mutation. To explore this, we generated a mouse model carrying the orthologous R854Q mutation. Behavioral analyses revealed that heterozygous Na(V)1.2(R854Q) mice exhibit ASD-like phenotypes, including impaired social interaction and social novelty, repetitive rearing, and increased risk-taking behaviors. In silico modeling suggests that, in cortical neurons, the net effect of the R854Q mutation is a reduction in neuronal excitability due to decreased sodium conductance, although I(gp) alone increases excitability and partially offsets this reduction. Notably, acute administration of retigabine, a potassium channel opener, rescues specific ASD-related phenotypes, possibly by restoring decreased firing through reduction of slow sodium inactivation. Comparative analysis with Scn2a knockout models, which show similar current reduction, highlights the unique severity of R854Q, suggesting a role of I(gp) in modulating neurobehavioral outcomes and informing potential therapeutic strategies.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

12. Izmaylova T, Undurraga JA, Sowman PF. Subcortical encoding of harmonicity and frequency in autism: Insights from frequency-following responses. J Acoust Soc Am;2026 (Feb 1);159(2):1630-1646.

Autistic individuals often exhibit atypical sound perception, yet the specific acoustic properties involved-beyond sound intensity-remain unclear. This study examined whether subcortical processing of harmonicity and frequency differs in autistic children, potentially contributing to altered auditory experiences. Frequency-following responses (FFRs) were recorded from 15 autistic boys (ages 7-14) and nine age-matched neurotypical (NT) boys. In Experiment 1, participants heard three complex tones varying in their degree of harmonicity. No group differences emerged in FFRs to either the envelope or fine structure, suggesting comparable subcortical encoding of harmonicity. In Experiment 2, participants were presented with complex tones differing in the frequency of partials and/or fundamental frequency. Autistic children showed significantly weaker envelope responses across all stimuli and reduced fine structure responses around 500 Hz, while responses at lower and higher frequencies matched NT peers. These findings suggest that atypical subcortical encoding of frequency-specific information may contribute to altered sound perception in autism. Larger-scale studies are needed to confirm these results and connect them to behavioral measures.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

13. Kuriyakose D, M G. Explainable AI uncovers novel EEG microstate candidate neurophysiological markers for autism spectrum disorder. Front Comput Neurosci;2026;20:1763727.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical brain connectivity and impaired cognitive flexibility. Electroencephalography (EEG) based microstate analysis provides insight into the rapid temporal dynamics of brain networks, offering potential biomarkers for ASD. OBJECTIVE: This study proposes an interpretable classification framework for ASD diagnosis using multidomain microstate-informed features derived from EEG, integrating temporal, spectral, complexity-based, and higher-order metrics to comprehensively characterize brain dynamics. METHODS: Resting state EEG data from 56 participants (28 with ASD and 28 neurotypical controls; age range: 18-68 years) from the publicly available Sheffield dataset were preprocessed and segmented into microstates using a data-driven clustering approach. From these microstate sequences, we extracted a rich set of features across four domains: (i) temporal, (ii) spectral, (iii) temporal complexity, and (iv) higher-order metrics. Multiple classifiers were evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation, with hyperparameter tuning via a randomized search. RESULTS: Among all classifiers, XGBoost achieved the highest performance, with an accuracy of 80.87% when utilizing the complete multidomain feature set, significantly outperforming single domain models. Explainable AI analysis using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) identified the top 20 discriminative features, including fractional occupancy derivative for microstate 3, delta-band power in states 1 and 3, and mean inter-transition interval. Retraining XGBoost on these SHAP-selected features yielded 80.34% accuracy, confirming their robustness as potential biomarkers. Statistical validation via Mann-Whitney U-tests and effect size measures further established their significance. CONCLUSION: The findings from the study demonstrated that microstate-informed features capturing temporal instability, transition unpredictability, and spectral alterations serve as clinically relevant and interpretable candidate neurophysiological markers of ASD, offering translational potential for objective diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and personalized interventions.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

14. Lai CA, Huang Y, Luo G. Letter to the Editor: Bridging or blurring? Reflections on measurement overlap, cultural adaptation, and robustness in autism-anxiety network analysis. Child Adolesc Ment Health;2026 (Feb 20)

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

15. Liu J, Liu T, Nie L, Zhou L, Luo J, Guo L, Zhang X, Gong M, Chen Z, Li X, Fan X. Semaglutide attenuates autistic-like behaviors in BTBR mice through the shaping of gut microbiota. Pharmacol Res;2026 (Feb 20):108149.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors. The significance of the gut-brain axis in the pathogenesis of ASD often points to a relationship with gut dysbiosis and metabolic disruptions in affected individuals. This study investigates the potential of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide, to modulate gut microbiota, metabolic pathways, and neurodevelopmental outcomes using the BTBR T(+) Itpr3(tf)/J (BTBR) mouse model of ASD. Our findings indicate that administration of semaglutide during an early neurodevelopmental stage leads to significant improvements in social behavior, cognitive function, and repetitive behaviors in BTBR mice. This therapeutic effect is associated with the restoration of gut microbiota, as demonstrated by fecal microbiota transplantation from C57BL/6J controls and semaglutide-treated BTBR mice, which ameliorated the ASD behaviors in BTBR mice. Metabolomic profiling identified adrenic acid (AdA) as a crucial mediator; AdA levels in BTBR mice were lower but returned to normal following semaglutide treatment. Additionally, RNA sequencing revealed that hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with semaglutide treatment, and AdA supplementation restored social behaviors and hippocampal neurogenesis. These results highlight the critical role of the gut microbiota-brain axis in the therapeutic effects of semaglutide on ASD and suggest that targeting this axis alongside AdA may represent a promising strategy for ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

16. Luglio DG, Yu X, Lin JC, Chow T, Martinez MP, Chen Z, Eckel SP, Schwartz J, Lurmann FW, Pavlovic N, McConnell R, Xiang AH, Rahman MM. Prenatal exposure to extreme heat and autism in children. Sci Total Environ;2026 (Feb 20);1017:181373.

Increasing global temperatures have been associated with neural tube defects and neurodevelopmental delays. Effects of gestational temperature exposures on autism, another neurodevelopmental outcome with prenatal risk factors, have not been previously investigated. This study examined associations of weekly maximum and minimum temperature (T(max) and T(min), representing daytime and nighttime temperatures respectively) on development of autism in children in a retrospective birth cohort study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals from 2001 to 2014. Autism diagnosis by age 5 was identified in electronic medical records with corresponding ICD codes. Weekly average T(max) and T(min) were estimated at the maternal residential addresses during pregnancy using the gridMET model. Cox proportional hazard models with nonlinear distributed lags were used to identify critical windows of exposure with hazard ratios (HR) comparing exposure to temperature at the 90th and 99th percentiles versus the 50th percentile. A total of 4076 children (80% male) in the cohort of 294,937 had autism diagnosis by age 5. Exposure to extreme T(min) during gestational weeks 1-10 and 30-37 were associated with increased risk of autism, with HR (95% CI) 1.154 (1.040, 1.288) for exposure during weeks 1-10, and 1.132 (1.030, 1.246) for weeks 30-37 comparing the 99th percentile to the 50th percentile. No association was observed for T(max). Exposures to high nighttime temperature during early and late pregnancy were associated with autism risk in children, a result of concern in a warming world. Further research is needed to understand why daytime temperature was not associated with autism risk.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

17. Marchetti F. [Autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines: when political rhetoric challenges scientific evidence]. Recenti Prog Med;2026 (Feb);117(2):83-86.

Recent political positions in the United States have reignited debate over alleged links between medical interventions and autism, including advice to avoid acetaminophen in pregnancy, the promotion of folinic acid as a potential preventive or therapeutic measure, and the restriction of several pediatric vaccinations previously universally recommended. These claims have raised concern within the scientific community due to their potential to spread misinformation and weaken established preventive practices. The most robust available evidence, including large population-based cohorts, sibling-comparison studies, and recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses, does not support a causal association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and the risk of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or intellectual disability. Likewise, while folates play a key role in preventing neural tube defects, current data do not support the use of folinic acid to prevent or treat autism. Limiting pediatric vaccination recommendations in the absence of new, high-quality evidence may reduce vaccine coverage and increase the circulation of preventable infectious diseases. The dissemination of non-evidence-based messages, particularly when endorsed by institutional figures, poses a tangible threat to public health and public trust.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

18. Meng Q, Xie J, Yang L, Yu K, Zhu B, Li C, Zhao Z, Huo J. Prenatal exposure to antiseizure medications and risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: an integrated pharmacovigilance and two-sample mendelian randomization study. Epilepsy Res;2026 (Feb 17);222:107756.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to antiseizure medications (ASMs) may be associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However, the risks attributable to specific ASMs and the underlying biological mechanisms remain incompletely characterized. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to systematically assess ASMs-ASD associations and explore potential causal pathways through an integrated approach combining pharmacovigilance data and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. METHODS: Disproportionality analyses were performed using three major pharmacovigilance databases: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS, Q1 2004-Q1 2025), the European Medicines Agency EudraVigilance (inception-April 2025), and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (inception-May 2025). Signals identified in FAERS were further investigated using two-sample MR analyses from brain and blood tissues. RESULTS: Valproate (VPA) demonstrated the strongest and most consistent pharmacovigilance signal for ASD across all databases. Additional signals were observed for carbamazepine (CBZ), lamotrigine (LTG), and oxcarbazepine. Drug-target MR supported a potential protective role of ALDH5A1 (targeted by VPA), while CHRNA4 (targeted by CBZ) and HTR2A (targeted by LTG) were associated with increased ASD risk in offspring. CONCLUSION: This integrated study extended prior evidence linking prenatal exposure to specific ASMs, particularly VPA, CBZ and LTG, with an elevated risk and potential signaling pathways of ASD in offspring. The findings underscored the importance of cautious ASM selection during pregnancy, prioritizing agents with a favorable risk-benefit profile at the minimum effective dose. Large, prospective, multicenter studies are warranted to validate these associations and to establish potential dose-response relationships.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

19. Osuna AR, Kennedy J, Zhou C, Christakis DA. Anxiety, Depression, and Care Barriers in Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. JAMA Netw Open;2026 (Feb 2);9(2):e2560205.

IMPORTANCE: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) experience relatively high rates of psychiatric conditions; however, national estimates of mental health disparities and barriers to access to care remain limited. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression, mental health treatment, and cost-related barriers among adults with IDDs compared with those without functional limitations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used pooled US National Health Interview Survey data collected from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023. The analytic sample included 44 478 adults 18 years or older, representing 134.3 million US adults. Adults with IDDs were identified using Washington Group Short Set criteria, indicating significant difficulty with cognition, communication, or self-care beginning before 22 years of age. The sample included 796 adults with IDDs (weighted population, 2.9 million) and 43 682 adults without functional limitations (weighted population, 131.4 million). Data were analyzed from August 18 to December 18, 2025. EXPOSURE: US National Health Interview Survey. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Outcomes included self-reported diagnoses of anxiety and depression, symptom frequency and severity, psychiatric medication use, receipt of past-year counseling or therapy, and cost-related barriers to mental health care. Weighted prevalence estimates and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations between IDD status and outcomes, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. Sensitivity analyses incorporated multiple imputation and propensity score weighting. RESULTS: Among 44 478 adults included in the analysis (estimated 52.8% male; mean [SD] age, 48.6 [16.5] year), the 796 adults with IDDs were younger and more likely to have a lower income and public insurance coverage. Diagnosed anxiety occurred in an estimated 57.2% of adults with IDDs vs 10.6% of adults without limitations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 9.41; 95% CI, 7.71-11.49), and diagnosed depression occurred in an estimated 57.1% of adults with IDDs vs 9.9% of adults without limitations (AOR, 9.78; 95% CI, 8.08-11.83). Adults with IDDs also reported more common daily anxiety (50.8% vs 7.9%; AOR, 9.72; 95% CI, 8.08-11.71) and daily depression (25.6% vs 1.4%; AOR, 17.73; 95% CI, 13.84-22.72), use of prescribed medications for anxiety (41.7% vs 8.6%; AOR, 7.02; 95% CI, 5.73-8.60) and depression (38.2% vs 6.0%; AOR, 8.88; 95% CI, 7.28-10.83), and past-year use of counseling or therapy (41.4% vs 9.0%; AOR, 5.83; 95% CI, 4.78-7.11). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, US adults with IDDs experienced substantially higher rates of mental health conditions, treatment use, and cost-related barriers compared with those without functional impairments. These findings highlight critical gaps for accessible, affordable, and disability-informed mental health services and policy reforms to address systemic inequities.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

20. Thirumanickam A, Attrill S, Welz N, Hobbs D. Enhancing social collaboration in autistic pre-teens through Minecraft(™). Int J Speech Lang Pathol;2026 (Feb 20):1-12.

PURPOSE: This pilot research explored the use of Minecraft(™) as an accessible game-based program for facilitating social skills development and collaboration in 10-12-year-old pre-adolescent autistic children. METHOD: Underpinned by inclusive research principles, the study was co-designed with consumers with lived experience and used a mixed-method design to explore intervention effects across different intensities (high vs. low) and modalities (in-person vs. online). RESULT: A total of 11 children participated, divided into four groups of 2-3 players each. The findings showed that both low- and high-intensity groups showed non-significant social skills improvements, with highest perceived gains in low-intensity online and high-intensity in-person groups. Parent and child reports of social competence with peers were mixed. Online friendships were limited across groups, with none reported amongst the in-person group participants. Qualitative analysis highlighted three interconnected dimensions of engagement, including relational, structural, and contextual; shaping experiences of collaboration, social competence, and accessibility. CONCLUSION: Despite limitations that warrant cautious interpretation, the study demonstrates the value of co-design with families and people with lived experience; which should remain central to future research.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

21. Van der Burg E, Jertberg RM, Geurts HM, Chakrabarti B, Begeer S. Finding the forest in the trees: Using machine learning and online cognitive and perceptual measures to predict adult autism diagnosis. Transl Psychiatry;2026 (Feb 19)

Traditional subjective measures are limited in the insight they provide into underlying behavioral differences associated with autism and, accordingly, their ability to predict diagnosis. Performance-based measures offer an attractive alternative, being designed to capture neuropsychological constructs more directly and objectively. However, due to the heterogeneity of autism, differences in any one specific neuropsychological domain are inconsistently detected. Meanwhile, protracted wait times for diagnostic interviews delay access to care, highlighting the importance of developing better methods for identifying individuals likely to be autistic and understanding the associated behavioral differences. We administered a battery of online tasks measuring multisensory perception, emotion recognition, and executive function to a large group of autistic and non-autistic adults. We then used machine learning to classify participants and reveal which factors from the resulting dataset were most predictive of diagnosis. Not only were these measures able to predict autism in a late-diagnosed population known to be particularly difficult to identify, their combination with the most popular screening questionnaire enhanced its predictive accuracy (reaching 92% together). This indicates that performance-based measures may be a promising means of predicting autism, providing complementary information to existing screening questionnaires. Many variables in which significant group differences were not detected had predictive value in combination, suggesting complex latent relationships associated with autism. Machine learning’s ability to harness these connections and pinpoint the most crucial features for prediction could allow optimization of a screening tool that offers a unique marriage of predictive accuracy and accessibility.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

22. Wu J, Chen X, Zhang J, Wettschurack K, Robinson M, Li W, Zhao Y, Yoo YE, Deming BA, Shu Y, Abeyaratna AD, Que Z, Du D, Tegtmeyer M, Yuan C, Skarnes WC, Zhang ZY, Rochet JC, Wu LJ, Yang Y. Human microglia in brain assembloids display region-specific diversity and respond to hyperexcitable neurons carrying SCN2A mutation. Sci Adv;2026 (Feb 20);12(8):eady2977.

Microglia critically shape neuronal circuit development and function, yet their region-specific properties and roles in distinct circuits of the human brain remain poorly understood. In this study, we generated region-specific brain organoids (cortical, striatal, and midbrain), each integrated with human microglia, to fill this critical gap. Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovered six distinct microglial subtypes exhibiting unique regional signatures, including a subtype highly enriched for the GABA(B) receptor gene within striatal organoids. To investigate the contributions of microglia to neural circuitry, we created microglia-incorporated midbrain-striatal assembloids, modeling a core circuit node for many neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism. Using chemogenetics to activate this midbrain-striatal circuit, we observed increased calcium signaling in microglia involving GABA(B) receptors. Leveraging this model, we examined microglial responses within neural circuits harboring an SCN2A nonsense (C959X) mutation associated with profound autism. Microglia displayed heightened calcium responses to SCN2A mutation-mediated neuronal hyperactivity and engaged in excessive synaptic pruning. These pathological effects were reversed not only by pharmacological inhibition of microglial GABA(B) receptors but also by knockout of the GABBR1 gene in microglia. Collectively, our findings establish an advanced platform that can be used to dissect human neuroimmune interactions in subcortical regions and to evaluate previously undiscovered therapies, highlighting the important role of microglia in shaping critical circuitry related to neuropsychiatric disorders.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

23. Xu Z, Ni Y, Chu M, Yang J, Qin H, Shi L, Wang F. The association between parenting difficulties in children with autism and parental anxiety and the moderating role of parenting stress. Sci Rep;2026 (Feb 19)

This study explores the impact of parenting difficulties in children with autism on parental anxiety, and analyzes the moderating role of parenting stress. A total of 207 primary caregivers of autistic children from 13 rehabilitation institutions in Nantong City were selected as subjects, covering the period from May 2024 to May 2025. Data was collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Chinese version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF). The hypothesized model was tested through correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. The parenting difficulties of children with autism were significantly positively correlated with the level of parental anxiety (r = 0.56, p < 0.01), and the parental anxiety level increased by 1.08 points for each increase of 1 point (β = 0.56, p < 0.001), which verified the direct predictive effect of parenting difficulties on parental anxiety. Parenting stress had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between the two (interaction term β = 0.13, p < 0.05), and the predictive effect of parenting difficulties on anxiety in the high parenting stress group (β = 1.33) was significantly higher than that in the low stress group (β = 0.77). The parenting stress factors in parenting stress had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between the two (interaction term β = 0.58, p < 0.05), and the predictive effect of parenting difficulties on anxiety in the high parenting stress group (β = 6.58) was significantly higher than that in the low stress group (β = 5.76). Parental anxiety was generally at an upper middle level (M = 51.14), while parenting stress (M = 2.34/5) and parenting difficulties (M = 0.80/2) were at a lower middle level, suggesting that the cumulative effect of stress perception may exacerbate psychological risk. Parenting difficulties in children with autism can positively predict parental anxiety; parenting stress plays a significant moderating role between parenting difficulties and parental anxiety, with greater parenting stress amplifying the impact of parenting difficulties in children with autism on parental anxiety levels.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)

24. Zhong H, Zhang S, Mou Z, Fan X, Zhang X, Wang L, Xu X, Xue X, Yang F, Shu J, Wang M, Cai C. Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals the involvement of the gut-brain axis in children with autism. Front Microbiol;2026;17:1766850.

BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal (GI) comorbidities and gut microbiota dysbiosis. While the microbiota-gut-brain axis is implicated in ASD pathophysiology, the upstream host genetic factors that drive these specific microbial alterations remain poorly characterized. METHODS: To bridge this gap, we performed an integrated multi-omics analysis combining whole-exome sequencing, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and plasma metabolomics in a cohort of children with ASD and typically developing controls. RESULTS: We confirmed that children with ASD exhibit significant gut microbial dysbiosis and metabolic perturbations, which correlated with GI symptom severity. Crucially, rare variant enrichment analysis identified a significant accumulation of deleterious variants in mucin biosynthesis pathways (specifically the MUC gene family), which are essential for intestinal mucus barrier integrity. Multi-omics integration revealed that these host genetic defects were associated with distinct shifts in the gut ecosystem, notably the depletion of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g., Faecalibacterium) and the expansion of mucin-degrading taxa. This structural dysbiosis translated into functional metabolic impairments, particularly in lipid transport and short-chain fatty acid metabolism, which tracked with ASD severity. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our data argue for a host-centric cascade where genetic vulnerabilities-specifically within the MUC pathway-compromise mucosal integrity, acting as a selective filter that fundamentally reshapes the gut microbiome. By pinpointing these variants as upstream drivers of gut-brain axis dysfunction, we move beyond simple association to identify concrete genetic targets-rare deleterious variants in the mucin (MUC) gene family-for future precision interventions in ASD.

Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)