ABSTRACT
La falta de información sobre el uso de la tecnología en niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) de diferentes perfiles puede dificultar que docentes y alumnos se estén beneficiando del apoyo tecnológico más eficaz y ajustado a sus necesidades. El objetivo de esta revisión fue analizar y sintetizar la evidencia científica sobre la eficacia de los recursos tecnológicos en la mejora de la comprensión emocional de estudiantes con TEA con perfiles de alto y bajo funcionamiento. Para ello se realizó una revisión sistemática de las publicaciones científicas indexadas en algunas de las bases de datos de mayor relevancia siguiendo los criterios establecidos en la declaración PRISMA. En total se analizaron 38 artículos que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión preestablecidos. Los resultados muestran la importancia de diseñar sistemas versátiles que puedan personalizarse y adaptarse en tiempo real y en contextos naturales con un enfoque claramente inclusivo. Pero también sugieren que la tecnología puede no ser una herramienta de intervención complementaria adecuada para todos los niños con TEA. Lo que subraya la necesidad de ensayos adicionales bien controlados sobre las características que permitan identificar qué estudiantes podrían o no beneficiarse de diferentes modalidades de tecnología. (AU)
The lack of information on the use of technology in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) of different profiles can make it difficult for teachers and students to benefit from the most effective technology support tailored to their needs. The aim of this review was to analyze and synthesize scientific evidence on the effectiveness of technological resources in improving the emotional understanding of students with high and low functioning ASD profiles. A systematic review of the scientific publications indexed in some of the most relevant databases was carried out following the criteria established in the PRISMA declaration. A total of 38 articles that met the pre-established inclusion criteria were analyzed. The results show the importance of designing versatile systems that can be customized and adapted in real time and in natural contexts with a clearly inclusive approach. But they also suggest that technology may not be an appropriate complementary intervention tool for all children with ASD. This underlines the need for additional well-controlled tests on the characteristics that would allow identifying which students might or might not benefit from different technology modalities. (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Educational Technology , Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic DisorderABSTRACT
La falta de información sobre el uso de la tecnología en niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) de diferentes perfiles puede dificultar que docentes y alumnos se estén beneficiando del apoyo tecnológico más eficaz y ajustado a sus necesidades. El objetivo de esta revisión fue analizar y sintetizar la evidencia científica sobre la eficacia de los recursos tecnológicos en la mejora de la comprensión emocional de estudiantes con TEA con perfiles de alto y bajo funcionamiento. Para ello se realizó una revisión sistemática de las publicaciones científicas indexadas en algunas de las bases de datos de mayor relevancia siguiendo los criterios establecidos en la declaración PRISMA. En total se analizaron 38 artículos que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión preestablecidos. Los resultados muestran la importancia de diseñar sistemas versátiles que puedan personalizarse y adaptarse en tiempo real y en contextos naturales con un enfoque claramente inclusivo. Pero también sugieren que la tecnología puede no ser una herramienta de intervención complementaria adecuada para todos los niños con TEA. Lo que subraya la necesidad de ensayos adicionales bien controlados sobre las características que permitan identificar qué estudiantes podrían o no beneficiarse de diferentes modalidades de tecnología. (AU)
The lack of information on the use of technology in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) of different profiles can make it difficult for teachers and students to benefit from the most effective technology support tailored to their needs. The aim of this review was to analyze and synthesize scientific evidence on the effectiveness of technological resources in improving the emotional understanding of students with high and low functioning ASD profiles. A systematic review of the scientific publications indexed in some of the most relevant databases was carried out following the criteria established in the PRISMA declaration. A total of 38 articles that met the pre-established inclusion criteria were analyzed. The results show the importance of designing versatile systems that can be customized and adapted in real time and in natural contexts with a clearly inclusive approach. But they also suggest that technology may not be an appropriate complementary intervention tool for all children with ASD. This underlines the need for additional well-controlled tests on the characteristics that would allow identifying which students might or might not benefit from different technology modalities. (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Educational Technology , Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic DisorderABSTRACT
Objectives. Important factor in caring for ASD patients is the successful cooperation between the physician and the parent. Methods. The online survey has been conducted. For statistical analysis the t-student test and the U-Mann Whitney test were performed to compare 2 variables, then the Kruskal-Wallis test or ANOVA as well as The Pearson correlation and Sperman's rank correlation were performed. Results. 80.5% of respondent's PHPs did not notice the child's developmental difficulties. 22.02% of respondents can speak to their PHP about a child's difficulties. PHPs take different strategies to make patient contact with the healthcare system easier. We discovered statistically significant differences in the assessment of PHPs' abilities depending on the physicians' specialty, the children's age, the age at ASD diagnosis. Conclusion. The care for autistic patients provided by Polish PHPs is insufficient and the topic needs to be addressed immediately.
ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder; the prevalence of which has been on the rise with unknown causes. Alterations in the gut-brain axis have been widely recognized in ASD patients, and probiotics are considered to potentially benefit the rescuing of autism-like behaviors. However, the effectiveness and mechanisms of multiple probiotics on zebrafish models are still not clearly revealed. This study aims to use the germ-free (GF) and conventionally raised (CR) AB wild-type zebrafish and the mutant Tbr1b-/- and Katnal2-/- lines as human-linked ASD animal models to evaluate the effects of multiple probiotics on mitigating developmental and behavioral defects. Results showed that the addition of probiotics increased the basic important developmental indexes, such as body length, weight, and survival rate of treated zebrafish. Moreover, the Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus affected the behavior of CR zebrafish by increasing their mobility, lowering the GF zebrafish manic, and mitigating transgenic zebrafish abnormal behavior. Moreover, the expression levels of key genes related to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) as important neuropathways to influence the appearance and development of autism-related disorders, including gad1b, tph1a, htr3a, th, and slc6a3, were significantly activated by some of the probiotics' treatment at some extent. Taken together, this study indicates the beneficial effects of different probiotics, which may provide a novel understanding of probiotic function in related diseases' therapy.
ABSTRACT
Attention deficits are frequently reported within the clinical autism population. Despite not being a core diagnostic feature, some aetiological theories place atypical attention at the centre of autism development. Drugs used to treat attention dysfunction are therefore increasingly prescribed to autistic patients, though currently off-label with uncertain efficacy. We utilised a rodent-translated touchscreen test of sustained attention in mice carrying an autism-associated R451C mutation in the neuroligin-3 gene (Nlgn3R451C). In doing so, we replicated their cautious but accurate response profile and probed it using two widely prescribed attention-modulating drugs: methylphenidate (MPH) and atomoxetine (ATO). In wild-type mice, acute administration of MPH (3 mg/kg) promoted impulsive responding at the expense of accuracy, while ATO (3 mg/kg) broadly reduced impulsive responding. These drug effects were absent in Nlgn3R451C mice, other than a small reduction in blank touches to the screen following ATO administration. The absence of drug effects in Nlgn3R451C mice likely arises from their altered behavioural baseline and underlying neurobiology, highlighting caveats to the use of classic attention-modulating drugs across disorders and autism subsets. It further suggests that altered dopaminergic and/or norepinephrinergic systems may drive behavioural differences in the Nlgn3R451C mouse model of autism, supporting further targeted investigation.
ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and behavior, frequently accompanied by restricted and repetitive patterns of interests or activities. The gut microbiota has been implicated in the etiology of ASD due to its impact on the bidirectional communication pathway known as the gut-brain axis. However, the precise involvement of the gut microbiota in the causation of ASD is unclear. This study critically examines recent evidence to rationalize a probable mechanism in which gut microbiota symbiosis can induce neuroinflammation through intermediator cytokines and metabolites. To develop ASD, loss of the integrity of the intestinal barrier, activation of microglia, and dysregulation of neurotransmitters are caused by neural inflammatory factors. It has emphasized the potential role of neuroinflammatory intermediates linked to gut microbiota alterations in individuals with ASD. Specifically, cytokines like brain-derived neurotrophic factor, calprotectin, eotaxin, and some metabolites and microRNAs have been considered etiological biomarkers. We have also overviewed how probiotic trials may be used as a therapeutic strategy in ASD to reestablish a healthy balance in the gut microbiota. Evidence indicates neuroinflammation induced by dysregulated gut microbiota in ASD, yet there is little clarity based on analysis of the circulating immune profile. It deems the repair of microbiota load would lower inflammatory chaos in the GI tract, correct neuroinflammatory mediators, and modulate the neurotransmitters to attenuate autism. The interaction between the gut and the brain, along with alterations in microbiota and neuroinflammatory biomarkers, serves as a foundational background for understanding the etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
ABSTRACT
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently afflicted with sensory processing difficulties, which often impact their ability to cooperate with dental treatment. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effects of green light exposure on behavior, pain, distress and anxiety in pediatric patients with ASD undergoing a dental prophylaxis. Twelve children diagnosed with ASD, aged 6-17 years, requiring a dental prophylaxis participated in this study. Participants completed two dental prophylaxes, three months apart, one in a standard white light-exposed dental operatory and one in a green light-exposed dental operatory. Behavioral cooperation, pain intensity, physiological stress and anxiety were assessed in all patients. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test was used to estimate differences in measured outcomes according to the experimental condition. There was a trend towards reduced uncooperative behavior when children received a dental prophylaxis in the green light-exposed operatory (p = 0.06). Similar levels of heart rate variability (p = 0.41), salivary alpha amylase (p = 0.19), and salivary cortisol (p = 0.67) were observed at the start and end of each visit in both conditions. Green light exposure had no significant effect on pain intensity (p = 0.17) or behavioral anxiety (p = 0.31). These findings suggest a preliminary positive benefit of green light exposure on behavioral outcomes in pediatric patients with ASD and warrants a further, large-scale clinical trial.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Humans , Child , Pilot Projects , Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Adolescent , Male , Female , Light , Dental Anxiety , Dental Prophylaxis , Saliva/chemistry , Saliva/metabolism , Hydrocortisone/analysis , Child Behavior , Anxiety , Pain Measurement , Heart Rate , Green LightABSTRACT
Different empathic responses are often reported in autism but remain controversial. To investigate which component of empathy is most affected by autism, we examined the affective, cognitive, and motivational components of empathy in 25 5- to 8-year-old autistic and 27 neurotypical children. Participants were presented with visual stimuli depicting people's limbs in painful or nonpainful situations while their eye movements, pupillary responses, and verbal ratings of pain intensity and empathic concern were recorded. The results indicate an emotional overarousal and reduced empathic concern to others' pain in autism. Compared with neurotypical children, autistic children displayed larger pupil dilation accompanied by attentional avoidance to others' pain. Moreover, even though autistic children rated others in painful situations as painful, they felt less sorry than neurotypical children. Interestingly, autistic children felt more sorry in nonpainful situations compared with neurotypical children. These findings demonstrated an emotional overarousal in response to others' pain in autistic children, and provide important implications for clinical practice aiming to promote socio-emotional understanding in autistic children.
ABSTRACT
Rationale: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a complex neurodevelopmental condition lacking specific pharmacological interventions. Given the multifaced etiology of ASD, there exist no effective treatment for ASD. Rapamycin (RAPA) can activate autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR pathway and has exhibited promising effects in treating central nervous system disorders; however, its limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has hindered its clinical efficacy, leading to substantial side effects. Methods: To address this challenge, we designed a drug delivery system utilizing red blood cell membrane (CM) vesicles modified with SS31 peptides to enhance the brain penetration of RAPA for the treatment of autism. Results: The fabricated SCM@RAPA nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 110 nm, exhibit rapid release of RAPA in a pathological environment characterized by oxidative stress. In vitro results demonstrate that SCM@RAPA effectively activate cellular autophagy, reduce intracellular ROS levels, improve mitochondrial function, thereby ameliorating neuronal damage. SS31 peptide modification significantly enhances the BBB penetration and rapid brain accumulation of SCM@RAPA. Notably, SCM@RAPA nanoparticles demonstrate the potential to ameliorate social deficits, improve cognitive function, and reverse neuronal impairments in valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD models. Conclusions: The therapeutic potential of SCM@RAPA in managing ASD signifies a paradigm shift in autism drug treatment, holding promise for clinical interventions in diverse neurological conditions.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autophagy , Blood-Brain Barrier , Nanoparticles , Oxidative Stress , Sirolimus , Sirolimus/administration & dosage , Sirolimus/pharmacology , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Autism Spectrum Disorder/drug therapy , Autism Spectrum Disorder/metabolism , Animals , Autophagy/drug effects , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Blood-Brain Barrier/drug effects , Mice , Humans , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Disease Models, Animal , Male , Biomimetic Materials/administration & dosage , Biomimetic Materials/chemistry , Biomimetic Materials/pharmacology , Biomimetics/methods , Brain/metabolism , Brain/drug effects , Peptides/administration & dosage , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Valproic Acid/administration & dosage , Valproic Acid/pharmacologyABSTRACT
School-age children experience sensory processing challenges, especially among children living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the modern classroom strives to be an inclusive environment, more schools are adopting measures to provide sensory processing support. School nurses can be at the forefront to spearhead this initiative and are well-positioned to promote support and inclusivity for students through increased education for this population, including their peers. This article explores a collaboration between local school health services and a college of nursing to provide school-age children the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced by children living with sensory processing challenges.
ABSTRACT
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in individuals during childhood and has enduring consequences for their social interactions and communication. The prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in individuals based on the differences in brain networks and activities have been studied extensively in the recent past, however, with lower accuracies. Therefore in this research, identification at the early stage through computer-aided algorithms to differentiate between ASD and TD patients is proposed. In order to identify features, a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) model is developed which utilizes logistic regression on characteristics extracted from connectivity matrices of subjects derived from fMRI images. The features that significantly contribute to the classification of individuals as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or typically developing (TD) are identified by the logistic regression model. To enhance emphasis on essential attributes, an AND operation is integrated. This involves selecting features demonstrating statistical significance across diverse logistic regression analyses conducted on various random distributions. The iterative approach contributes to a comprehensive understanding of relevant features for accurate classification. By implementing this methodology, the estimation of feature importance became more dependable, and the potential for overfitting is moderated through the evaluation of model performance on various subsets of data. It is observed from the experimentation that the highly correlated Left Lateral Occipital Cortex and Right Lateral Occipital Cortex ROIs are only found in ASD. Also, it is noticed that the highly correlated Left Cerebellum Tonsil and Right Cerebellum Tonsil are only found in TD participants. Among the MLP classifier, a recall of 82.61 % is achieved followed by Logistic Regression with an accuracy of 72.46 %. MLP also stands out with a commendable accuracy of 83.57 % and AUC of 0.978.
ABSTRACT
Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are characterized by persistent changes in communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and stereotyped patterns of behavior. The complex etiology of these disorders possibly combines the effects of multiple genes and environmental factors. Hence, exposure to insecticides such as imidacloprid (IMI) has been used to replicate the changes observed in these disorders. Lutein is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is associated with neuroprotective effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of lutein-loaded nanoparticles, along with their mechanisms of action, on Drosophila melanogaster offspring exposed to IMI-induced damage. To simulate the neurodevelopmental disorder model, flies were exposed to a diet containing IMI for 7â¯days. Posteriorly, their offspring were exposed to a diet containing lutein-loaded nanoparticles for a period of 24â¯h, and male and female flies were subjected to behavioral and biochemical evaluations. Treatment with lutein-loaded nanoparticles reversed the parameters of hyperactivity, aggressiveness, social interaction, repetitive movements, and anxiety in the offspring of flies exposed to IMI. It also protected markers of oxidative stress and cell viability, in addition to preventing the reduction of Nrf2 and Shank3 immunoreactivity. These results demonstrate that the damage induced by exposure to IMI was restored through treatment with lutein-loaded nanoparticles, elucidating lutein's mechanisms of action as a therapeutic agent, which, after further studies, can become a co-adjuvant in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD and ADHD.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face unique challenges in oral care. Aligner therapy offers a promising alternative to conventional approaches for this patient group. AIM: To evaluate orthodontic aligner therapy outcomes in children with ASD using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) Index and the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need (ICON), and to investigate whether concomitant disorders affect ICON, PAR scores, and treatment duration. DESIGN: Two calibrated observers assessed digital dental casts and intraoral pictures of 37 children with ASD before (T0) and after (T1) their treatment. At T0, the participants' average age was 12.9 years (SD = 1.68); at T1, post-therapy, the average age was 14.9 years (SD = 1.51). All participants underwent orthodontic aligner therapy. Statistical methods employed in this study included descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon tests, and univariate linear regression. RESULTS: Posttreatment, median ICON scores decreased significantly from 74 to 14, and median PAR scores from 36 to 8 (p < .0001), demonstrating "excellent to substantial" improvement in 89.2% (n = 33) of the children. Comorbidities, present in 62% of patients, did not significantly affect treatment duration (22.6 ± 11.02 months). CONCLUSION: Children with ASD significantly benefit from orthodontic aligner therapy, emphasizing the need for tailored orthodontic care.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To elicit experiences of parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions using a new perioperative pathway. METHOD: Parents of children accessing an adapted perioperative clinical pathway in a tertiary children's hospital between July 2019 and December 2020 were invited to participate. A mixed method study was conducted comprising a short survey questionnaire followed by telephonic interviews. RESULTS: From 67 postal surveys sent out, 20 were completed. Six out of 20 parents participated in phone interviews and one parent submitted written prose. Parents were positive about their experiences. Six themes emerged: Negative past experiences (highlighting the need for adapted perioperative pathways); Reasonable adjustments (improving child and parent's hospital journey); Facilitating communication, convenience and collaboration; Parent's satisfaction and relief; Barriers to overcome and Areas in need of improvement were discussed. CONCLUSION: Parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions report great satisfaction and relief from their experiences of a more efficient, streamlined and stress-free way for their child to have tests or procedures done. Parents report improved communication, convenience and collaboration with staff resulted in timely, safe and high-quality care.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Autistic children may encounter difficulties in managing emotions and executive functions (EFs), which can contribute to mental and health challenges. Recognizing physical activities as a potential strategy for enhancing emotion regulation (ER), this study aims to investigate the efficacy of a virtual reality (VR)-based physical exercise program in improving ER and EFs among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Materials and Methods: Forty boys diagnosed with ASD, aged 7 to 10 years, were randomly assigned to two groups: a VR intervention group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). The intervention group participated in a VR program, while the control group solely concentrated on engaging in sedentary and inactive video gaming. EFs were evaluated through the utilization of both the flanker task and the Wisconsin card sorting task, both administered initially at baseline and subsequently after an 8-week interval. In addition, the parents of the children completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist to evaluate their ER skills. Results: According to the results, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of EFs and the ability to regulate emotion (P < 0.05). The intervention group demonstrated a notable improvement in ER skills and exhibited superior executive functioning abilities compared with the control group. Conclusion: It appears that VR exercises can serve as a preliminary trial to enhance EFs and ER in children with autism. In addition, they may prove effective as complementary interventions to traditional educational strategies in preventing future challenges associated with ASD.
ABSTRACT
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder that shares genetic factors with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) differentiating ADHD from ASD was performed recently. In this study, we investigated whether polygenic risk scores (PRSs) differentiating ASD from ADHD are associated with cognitive impairments and alterations in cortical structures in SCZ patients. Based on the GWAS data (9,315 ASD and 11,964 ADHD patients), PRSs differentiating ADHD from ASD (indicating a greater risk of ADHD and a lower risk of ASD) were calculated for SCZ patients (n = 168). Cognitive performance, including verbal comprehension (VC), perceptual organization (PO), working memory (WM), and processing speed (PS), was assessed using the WAIS-III (n = 145). The surface areas and cortical thicknesses of 34 bilateral brain regions were extracted using FreeSurfer (n = 126). We examined the associations of these PRSs with cognitive performance and cortical structures in SCZ patients. Among the four cognitive domains, a higher PRS, indicating a greater risk of ADHD, was associated with impaired WM in SCZ patients (beta=-0.21, p = 0.012). A lower PRS, indicating a greater risk of ASD, was associated with decreased surface areas of the left medial orbitofrontal (beta = 0.21, p = 8.29 × 10- 4), left entorhinal (beta = 0.21, p = 0.025), left postcentral (beta = 0.18, p = 7.52 × 10- 3), right fusiform (beta = 0.17, p = 6.64 × 10- 3), and left fusiform cortices (beta = 0.17, p = 7.77 × 10- 3) in SCZ patients. A higher PRS, indicating a greater risk of ADHD, was associated with decreased cortical thickness in the bilateral transverse temporal regions (left, beta=-0.17, p = 0.039; right, beta=-0.17, p = 0.045). Our study revealed a relationship between genetic factors that differentiate ADHD patients from ASD patients and both cortical structure and cognitive performance in SCZ patients. These findings suggest that the heterogeneity of SCZ might be partly derived from genetic factors related to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders other than SCZ.
ABSTRACT
Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children facilitates the provision of services and enhances opportunities for improving functioning via intervention. To date, limited studies have examined whether age of ASD diagnosis is associated with components of care of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), a model of health care that emphasizes centralized, accessible, and coordinated care. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the associations between components of the PCMH and age of ASD diagnosis while controlling for associated clinical and socio-demographic factors, in a national sample of children 17 years and younger with ASD. The present study was a cross-sectional, observational study. Participants were caregivers of 1,193 children ages with ASD from the 2020 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was run with age of ASD diagnosis as the criterion variable in two regression models. The binary composite medical home proxy variable was investigated as well as the five individual medical home components (usual source of care, personal doctor or nurse, family-centered care, care coordination, able to obtain referrals when needed). In the first regression analysis, the overall PCMH proxy variable was significantly correlated with the age of ASD diagnosis (standardized beta coefficient = -.08; p < .01). Of the five components of the PCMH assessed in the second regression model, only usual source of sick care was significantly associated with the age of ASD diagnosis (standardized beta coefficient = -.11; p < .01). Having a usual source of sick care may be an important factor in receiving an earlier ASD diagnosis for children and adolescents.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically manifesting before the age of three years, characterized by significant impairments in social interaction and communication, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of interests and activities. In our study, we assessed the benefits of sensory integration therapy in children with ASD using the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), focusing on improvements in sensory processing, relationship-building, language skills, and social and self-care abilities. METHOD: The study was conducted with 40 children aged three to nine years, diagnosed with ASD, and whose parents provided consent for their participation in therapy between December 2022 and March 2023 at the Private Adana Metro Hospital Child Psychiatry Clinic. The ages and genders of the patients were recorded. Before occupational therapy, after five sessions of occupational therapy, and after 10 sessions of occupational therapy, the ABC test was administered under the supervision of a child psychiatrist and an occupational therapist. The results were recorded, and statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the ABC test conducted after 10 sessions, a decreasing trend was observed in sensory, relationship-building, body and object usage, language skills, social and self-care, and total scale scores compared to pre-occupational therapy test scores (p < 0.000). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Occupational therapy improves sensory skills, relationship-building skills, body and object usage abilities, language skills, and social and self-care skills.
ABSTRACT
Human brain ontogeny is characterized by a considerably prolonged neotenic development of cortical neurons and circuits. Neoteny is thought to be essential for the acquisition of advanced cognitive functions, which are typically altered in intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Human neuronal neoteny could be disrupted in some forms of ID and/or ASDs, but this has never been tested. Here, we use xenotransplantation of human cortical neurons into the mouse brain to model SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency, one of the most prevalent genetic causes of ID/ASDs. We find that SYNGAP1-deficient human neurons display strong acceleration of morphological and functional synaptic formation and maturation alongside disrupted synaptic plasticity. At the circuit level, SYNGAP1-haploinsufficient neurons display precocious acquisition of responsiveness to visual stimulation months ahead of time. Our findings indicate that SYNGAP1 is required cell autonomously for human neuronal neoteny, providing novel links between human-specific developmental mechanisms and ID/ASDs.
ABSTRACT
Breastfeeding is associated with medical and developmental benefits. This study aimed to assess associations between nutritional patterns in the first year of life and the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 270 children diagnosed with ASD (cases) and 500 neurotypical children (controls) matched to cases by sex, ethnicity, and birth date (± 3 months) were included in this retrospective case-control study. Both groups were ascertained from children born between 2014 and 2017 whose development/nutrition were monitored at mother-child health clinics in southern Israel. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine the independent association of nutritional patterns with ASD while adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Both exclusive and partial breastfeeding modes were associated with decreased odds of ASD diagnosis (aOR = 0.221, 95%CI = 0.136-0.360; aOR = 0.494, 95%CI = 0.328-0.743, respectively). A breastfeeding duration of >12 months was associated with lower ASD odds (aOR = 0.418, 95%CI = 0.204-0.855), while the introduction of solids after 6 months of age was associated with higher ASD odds than the introduction of solids at 6 months (aOR = 2.455, 95%CI = 1.116-4.201). These findings suggest that a longer period of exclusive breastfeeding is associated with a subsequent reduced likelihood of ASD diagnosis, thus reiterating the importance of proper post-natal nutrition for infant neurodevelopment.