Characterizing the physical and mental health profile of children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder in Spain.

Introduction: Autistic men and women are more likely to experience health issues than the general population, although the available epidemiological studies addressing co-occurrence conditions are limited. This is the first Spanish epidemiologic study addressing the health profile and poor-health exacerbating factors in individuals of all ages with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: We analyzed 2,629 registries extracted from Autism Spain's sociodemographic registry (November 2017-May 2020). A descriptive health data analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of other conditions associated to ASD in the Spanish population. Nervous system disorders (12.9%), mental health diagnoses (17.8%), and other comorbidities (25.4%) were reported. Men-to-women ratio was 4:1. Results: Women, elder individuals and those with intellectual disability (ID) were at an increased risk of health comorbidities and psychopharmacological exposure. Women were also more prone to severe intellectual and functional impairment. Nearly all individuals had difficulties in their adaptative functioning, especially those with ID (50% of the population). Almost half of the sample received psychopharmacological treatments starting from infancy and early childhood, mostly antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. Discussion: This study represents an important first approach to the health status of autistic people in Spain and can contribute to the development of public policies and innovative health strategies.

Facial emotional processing deficits in long-term HIV-suppressed patients.

INTRODUCTION: Emotional processing is basic for social behaviour. We examine for the first time the facial emotion processing in long-term HIV-suppressed patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study comparing (ANOVA) six facial emotional processing tasks (two discrimination, two memory and two recognition) between HIV-suppressed patients (HIV+) on effective antiretroviral therapy (>2 years) and matched (age, gender) healthy controls (HCs). Accuracy in the recognition of basic emotions (neutral, happiness, sadness, anger and fear) in each recognition task was also compared (Mann-Whitney U test) between HIV+ and HCs. In the subset of HIV+, we evaluate which factors were associated with impaired recognition of basic emotions (accuracy below 50%) by multiple logistic regression analysis. Overall performance in all six emotional tasks were separately compared between neurocognitive impaired and non-impaired HIV+. RESULTS: We included 107 HIV+, mainly Caucasian (89%) male (72%) with a mean age of 47.4 years, neurocognitively non-impaired (75.5%), and 40 HCs. Overall discrimination (p=0.38), memory (p=0.65) and recognition tasks (p=0.29) were similar in both groups. However, HIV+ had lower sadness recognition in both recognition tasks and lower sadness, anger and fear recognition in the facial affect selection task (Figure 1). Only estimated pre-morbid functioning (WAIS-III-R vocabulary subtest score) was significantly associated with sadness (1.99 [95% CI 1.18-3.58]; p=0.01) and anger recognition deficits (2.06 [95% CI 1.14-3.45]; p=0.015) in the facial affect selection task. In HIV+ individuals, neurocognitive impairment was associated with worse memory task results (p<0.01, d=0.88; p<0.01, d=1.48). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find difference in the overall emotion processing between HIV+ and HIV- individuals. However, we found particular recognition deficits in the entire HIV+ sample. Estimated pre-morbid functioning was associated with sadness and anger recognition deficits in the facial affect selection task. Neurocognitive impaired HIV+ had additional memory deficits. These recognition deficits might conduct to social difficulties.

Estudio neuropsicologico de niños de 8 a 15 años que presentan descargas paroxisticas subclinicas lateralizadas y bajo rendimiento escolar / Neuropsychological study od 8 to 15year-old children with lateralised sub-clinical paroxysmal discharges and poor academic achievement

Introducción. Se han observado descargas paroxísticas en niños no epilépticos que presentan, al mismo tiempo, trastornos de aprendizaje. Objetivos. En este trabajo nos proponemos determinar si dicha asociación entre descargas subclínicas (DSC) y trastornos de aprendizaje refleja déficit neuropsicológicos concretos y, particularmente, si los posibles déficit se definen en función del hemisferio cerebral en el que se localiza la actividad paroxística. Pacientes y métodos. Realizamos una evaluación neuropsicológica a 17 niños de edades comprendidas entre los 8 y los 15 años, con trastorno inespecífico del aprendizaje, que presentaban descargas paroxísticas subclínicas localizadas en el hemisferio izquierdo (nueve casos) o en el hemisferio derecho (ocho casos). Resultados. Los niños que presentaban la actividad paroxística en el hemisferio izquierdo obtuvieron resultados semejantes a los niños que la presentaban en el derecho, salvo en las pruebas que evalúan habilidades visoconstructivas, en las que sus puntuaciones fueron superiores, y en las pruebas sobre funciones ejecutivas, en las cuales mostraron déficit que no se observaron en los niños que presentaban, la actividad paroxística en el hemisferio derecho. Conclusiones. Interpretamos que la presencia de DSC en el hemisferio izquierdo refleja un proceso de maduración cerebral más lento o deficitario, que podría compensarse con un programa adecuado de intervención neuropsicológica