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JAMA Pediatrics Dec 2022
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
PubMed: 36315161
DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4147 -
JAMA Pediatrics Dec 2022
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
PubMed: 36315139
DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4141 -
Physiological Research Sep 2017Vitamin D had been for a long time investigated for its effects on bone metabolism. Recently has been observed that the incidence of some neurodevelopmental disorders... (Review)
Review
Vitamin D had been for a long time investigated for its effects on bone metabolism. Recently has been observed that the incidence of some neurodevelopmental disorders (including autism) increases hand in hand with vitamin D deficiency. Indeed, vitamin D was reported to modulate the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors; moreover, its receptor was found in the central nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency was therefore assessed as a risk factor for autism, however the biological mechanism has not yet been revealed. In our review we focused on potential connections among vitamin D, steroids and autism. Potential mechanisms of vitamin D action are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Brain; Epigenesis, Genetic; Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency
PubMed: 28948817
DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.933721 -
British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen... Feb 2023Autism spectrum disorder is an increasing diagnosis on a global scale. Despite limitations related to the diagnosis, many people with autism are active in the workforce,...
Autism spectrum disorder is an increasing diagnosis on a global scale. Despite limitations related to the diagnosis, many people with autism are active in the workforce, often within the health care sector. It is reasonable to assume that some of those are nurses. There are very few examples of nurses with autism in the literature, mostly in non-scientific contexts, and that these mention both autism-related strengths and limitations at work. A conclusion is that research about nurses with autism is almost non-existent, and it is high time to conduct explorative research in this area. If employers are given the knowledge and the ability to support the needs of nurses with autism, it is likely to benefit the health of the individual nurse, the psychosocial working climate and patient safety.
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Diagnosis, Differential
PubMed: 36828568
DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2023.32.4.210 -
Revista de Neurologia Feb 2017Kanner, in 1943, and Asperger, in 1944, published papers that have been considered the first descriptions of autism. Kanner is acknowledged as having been the first to...
Kanner, in 1943, and Asperger, in 1944, published papers that have been considered the first descriptions of autism. Kanner is acknowledged as having been the first to recognise this condition, while Asperger is attributed with the identification of a milder form of autism which has been denominated Asperger's syndrome. Kanner's paper played an important role in the development of the conceptualisation of autism due to its being published in the United States, where it became popular in the field of child psychiatry. In contrast, Asperger's work, written in German during the period dominated by Nazism, was practically ignored until almost four decades later. A review of the historical data, mostly collected by Silberman, reveals that Kanner had first-hand knowledge of the work on autism that Asperger had begun ten years earlier. Moreover, on re-reading and analysing the pioneering publications it becomes clear that the contributions made by Asperger are still fully valid today, to the point of having intuited a complex polygenic aetiology and that it would fit in perfectly with autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5.
Topics: Asperger Syndrome; Autistic Disorder; Child; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; History, 20th Century; Humans
PubMed: 28256681
DOI: No ID Found -
Medicina 2020We start from the evidence that confirms a greater vulnerability to anxiety in people with autism and to wonder to what extent the intolerance to the uncertainty... (Review)
Review
We start from the evidence that confirms a greater vulnerability to anxiety in people with autism and to wonder to what extent the intolerance to the uncertainty mediates in that anxiety. In addition, the alterations of the predictive abilities in autism could explain the coherence between greater intolerance to uncertainty and some peculiarities inherent in autism such as patterns of restrictive and stereotyped behaviors, interests and activities, and particularities in the processing of sensory information. This information will allow us to develop interventions specifically focused on this construct for the prevention and improvement of anxiety symptoms in autism in cases that the severity of intolerance to uncertainty constitutes a significant risk factor.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Autistic Disorder; Humans; Risk Factors; Sensation Disorders; Stereotyped Behavior; Uncertainty
PubMed: 32150707
DOI: No ID Found -
Autism : the International Journal of... Aug 2022Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective...
Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective interventions are for improving social functioning is important to help inform what should be offered to children with autism. This study reviewed how effective interventions that involved interaction with a live animal, known as animal-assisted interventions, are in improving social functioning in children with autism. A systematic search of the evidence on this topic found nine studies, which were explored for the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions and the quality of methods used. Overall, these studies showed improvements in social functioning following equine-assisted or therapeutic horse-riding interventions, with initial evidence showing improvements are sustained in the short and medium term. However, several issues were identified, which limit the strength of any conclusions that can be drawn from this evidence. For example, in many studies people assessing the children were aware that they received the intervention or were in a control group. There was also not enough evidence available to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of other animal-assisted interventions. Future research should address the limitations that were common in the designs of these studies and investigate the potential benefit of other animal populations, such as dogs and cats.
Topics: Animal Assisted Therapy; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Child; Horses; Humans; Social Interaction
PubMed: 35403450
DOI: 10.1177/13623613221085338 -
Autism Research : Official Journal of... Apr 2023Autism severity is currently defined and measured based exclusively on the severity levels of the two core symptom domains: social-communication and restricted or...
Autism severity is currently defined and measured based exclusively on the severity levels of the two core symptom domains: social-communication and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests. Autistic individuals, however, are often diagnosed with other medical, developmental, and psychological co-occurring conditions. These additional challenges such as intellectual disability, limited expressive and/or receptive language, and anxiety disorders, can have a tremendous impact on the day-to-day lives of autistic individuals, for both their adaptive functioning as well as their sense of wellbeing. Furthermore, the initial presentation of core symptoms and their likelihood of changing over time are influenced by the presence of such co-occurring conditions. In order to truly understand how a person's autism impacts their life, both core symptoms as well as other challenges should be considered. This approach was recently taken byThe Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autism, which proposed the term "profound autism" for a subgroup of individuals presenting with high core symptom severity, co-occurring intellectual disability, and little or no language, who require extensive long-term care. Considering other individual factors such as daily living skills, specific support needs and environmental resources would also enhance the evaluation of disability in autistic individuals. As currently employed in the assessment of intellectual disability, a multidimensional approach to autism could provide a more comprehensive system for classification of impairment. At present, however, there is no formal way to designate the combined effect of these different aspects of autism on a person's life. A comprehensive outlook that acknowledges impairments, capabilities, co-occurring conditions, and environmental factors would be useful for identifying subgroups of individuals as well as for determining individual needs and strengths in clinical assessments.
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Intellectual Disability; Anxiety Disorders
PubMed: 36786314
DOI: 10.1002/aur.2898 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior May 2022Previous research indicates a link between autism and transgender and gender-diverse identities, though the association is not yet fully understood. The current study...
Previous research indicates a link between autism and transgender and gender-diverse identities, though the association is not yet fully understood. The current study examined autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient [AQ]), empathizing (Empathizing Quotient-Short [EQ-S]), and systemizing (Systemizing Quotient-Short [SQ-S]) in a sample of 89 adults and aimed to test whether gender-diverse individuals exhibit cognitive profiles consistent with predictions derived from the Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory. As most research has considered only cisgender people, we recruited a more diverse sample by contacting > 200 UK LGBTQ+ organizations and posting on social media. A range of non-cisgender identities (e.g., transgender male, transgender female, non-binary, genderqueer, transmasculine) and non-heterosexual orientations (e.g., bisexual) were represented, and participants were categorized into one of four groups: (1) assigned female at birth but does not identify as female (transgender AFAB) (n = 32), (2) cisgender female (n = 21), (3) assigned male at birth but does not identify as male (transgender AMAB) (n = 18), and (4) cisgender male (n = 18). After controlling for age and autism diagnostic status, transgender AFAB participants had marginally higher AQ scores, and significantly higher SQ-S and systemizing-relative-to-empathizing (D) scores, compared with the cisgender female group. No such differences were detected between the transgender AMAB and cisgender male groups. Our findings are broadly in line with predictions derived from the EMB theory, though as no transgender AFAB participants reported being heterosexual, it was not possible to determine whether these effects relate specifically to gender identity, to sexual orientation, or to both.
Topics: Adult; Autistic Disorder; Brain; Empathy; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 35467170
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02251-x -
Developmental Medicine and Child... Jan 2024Motor features of autism have long been acknowledged by clinicians, researchers, and community stakeholders. Current DSM-5 and ICD-11 guidelines allow clinicians to... (Review)
Review
Motor features of autism have long been acknowledged by clinicians, researchers, and community stakeholders. Current DSM-5 and ICD-11 guidelines allow clinicians to assign a co-occurring diagnosis of developmental [motor] coordination disorder (DCD) for autistic individuals with significant motor problems. DCD is characterized by poor motor proficiency with an onset of symptoms in early development. Studies have shown considerable overlap in the behavioral motor features observed in autism and DCD. However, others indicate that motor problems in autism and DCD may stem from different underlying sensorimotor mechanisms. Regardless of whether autism has a unique motor phenotype or an overlap with DCD, changes need to be made in the clinical pipeline to address motor problems in autism at the stages of recognition, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. Consensus is needed to address unmet needs in research on the etiology of motor problems in autism and their overlap with DCD, to optimize clinical practice guidelines. The development of screening and assessment tools for motor problems that are valid and reliable for use with autistic individuals is essential, and an evidence-based clinical pipeline for motor problems in autism is urgently needed. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Motor problems in autism are highly prevalent, yet underdiagnosed and poorly managed. An evidence-based clinical pipeline for motor problems in autism is urgently needed.
Topics: Humans; Autistic Disorder; Motor Skills Disorders; Autism Spectrum Disorder
PubMed: 37332143
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15674