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Asian Journal of Surgery Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Asperger Syndrome; Comorbidity; Depressive Disorder, Major; Syncope; Male; Adolescent
PubMed: 37635025
DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2023.08.085 -
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience 2022Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social, cognitive and behavioral impairments. These impairments are often reported along with...
INTRODUCTION
Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social, cognitive and behavioral impairments. These impairments are often reported along with alteration of the brain structure such as abnormal changes in the grey matter (GM) density. However, it is not yet clear whether these changes could be used to differentiate various subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
METHOD
We compared the regional changes of GM density in ASD, Asperger's Syndrome (AS) individuals and a group of healthy controls (HC). In addition to regional changes itself, the amount of GM density changes in one region as compared to other brain regions was also calculated. We hypothesized that this structural covariance network could differentiate the AS individuals from the ASD and HC groups. Therefore, statistical analysis was performed on the MRI data of 70 male subjects including 26 ASD (age=14-50, IQ=92-132), 16 AS (age=7-58, IQ=93-133) and 28 HC (age=9-39, IQ=95-144).
RESULT
The one-way ANOVA on the GM density of 116 anatomically separated regions showed significant differences among the groups. The pattern of structural covariance network indicated that covariation of GM density between the brain regions is altered in ASD.
CONCLUSION
This changed structural covariance could be considered as a reason for less efficient segregation and integration of information in the brain that could lead to cognitive dysfunctions in autism. We hope these findings could improve our understanding about the pathobiology of autism and may pave the way towards a more effective intervention paradigm.
PubMed: 37323949
DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.2262.1 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023There are many special sites at the end of a synapse called active zones (AZs). Synaptic vesicles (SVs) fuse with presynaptic membranes at these sites, and this fusion... (Review)
Review
There are many special sites at the end of a synapse called active zones (AZs). Synaptic vesicles (SVs) fuse with presynaptic membranes at these sites, and this fusion is an important step in neurotransmitter release. The cytomatrix in the active zone (CAZ) is made up of proteins such as the regulating synaptic membrane exocytosis protein (RIM), RIM-binding proteins (RIM-BPs), ELKS/CAST, Bassoon/Piccolo, Liprin-α, and Munc13-1. RIM is a scaffold protein that interacts with CAZ proteins and presynaptic functional components to affect the docking, priming, and fusion of SVs. RIM is believed to play an important role in regulating the release of neurotransmitters (NTs). In addition, abnormal expression of RIM has been detected in many diseases, such as retinal diseases, Asperger's syndrome (AS), and degenerative scoliosis. Therefore, we believe that studying the molecular structure of RIM and its role in neurotransmitter release will help to clarify the molecular mechanism of neurotransmitter release and identify targets for the diagnosis and treatment of the aforementioned diseases.
PubMed: 37179554
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1123561 -
Psychiatria Polska Oct 2022Goal: to assess fMRI activation during semantic tasks in adolescents with ASD.
OBJECTIVES
Goal: to assess fMRI activation during semantic tasks in adolescents with ASD.
METHODS
Material: 44 right-handed male adolescents aged 12-19 (mean 14.3 ± 2.0) - 31 with autism spectrum disorders who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for Asperger's syndrome and 13 neurotypical adolescents matched according to age and handiness. Method: Functional testing (fMRI) was performed during semantic decisions tasks and phonological decisions in three categories of tasks: concrete nouns, verbs with plural meanings, words describing states of mind, as a control condition. Statistical analyzes were performed at the level of p <0.05 with FWE (family-wise error) correction and p <0.001.
RESULTS
Results: lower BOLD signal was demonstrated in many brain areas including precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, angular gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, regardless of task category and processing method in the ASD group. The smallest differences in semantic processing were found for concrete nouns and the greatest ones for words describing states of mind.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions: the presence of different activation patterns in the ASD group suggests that far more than just the areas traditionally attributed to language processing, are involved in semantic deficits in ASD.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adolescent; Semantics; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Brain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Asperger Syndrome; Brain Mapping
PubMed: 37074858
DOI: 10.12740/PP/OnlineFirst/133032 -
Psychiatria Polska Oct 2022Goal: to evaluate changes in the grey matter volume using the VBM method in a group of adolescents with ASD, who met the criteria for Asperger's Syndrome.
OBJECTIVES
Goal: to evaluate changes in the grey matter volume using the VBM method in a group of adolescents with ASD, who met the criteria for Asperger's Syndrome.
METHODS
Material and methods: Morphometric evaluations based on Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) were performed on 37 male adolescents aged 12 to 19 (M = 14.3 ± 2.0), with autism spectrum disorders, who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Asperger's Syndrome and 15 neurotypical adolescents matched by age. Significance was set at p<0.007 without FWE correction and p<0.05 with FWE correction.
RESULTS
Results: the decrease in the volume of the grey matter was observed in ASD group including the pre- and postcentral gyrus, the superior and middle frontal gyrus, the inferior and superior parietal lobule, the praecuneus, the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the fusiform gyrus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the lingual gyrus, the middle occipital region, the cuneus and the angular gyrus, the regions of calcarine sulcus and the cerebellum. The majority of changes was localized bilaterally.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions: the decrease in the volume of grey matter observed in ASD group can be related functionally with the characteristics of deficits observed in autism spectrum disorders which highlights the role of abnormal organization of numerous CNS structures in the genesis of symptoms observed in cognitive and behavioural domains.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adolescent; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Asperger Syndrome; Gyrus Cinguli; Frontal Lobe; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain
PubMed: 37074856
DOI: 10.12740/PP/OnlineFirst/132704 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for improving anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in...
The efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy for anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for improving anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in children and young people (CYP) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); summarize the results across clinic, home, and school contexts; and evaluate the quality of these interventions for clinical practice.
METHODS
A search of the PsycINFO, Medline (Ovid), Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted in June 2021, and no date restrictions were applied. Inclusion criteria were quantitative or qualitative research implementing a mindfulness-based intervention for CYP aged 6-25 years with a diagnosis of ASD, Pervasive Development Disorder, or Asperger's Syndrome.
RESULTS
We identified 23 articles for inclusion including within subject pre- and post-testing, multiple baselines, and randomized control trials, among other research designs. Of these, a quality analysis conducted using an ASD research-specific risk of bias tool found over half (14) were of weak methodological quality, whereas only four and five were found to be of strong and adequate quality, respectively.
DISCUSSION
While the results of this systematic review suggest promising evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to improve anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in CYP with ASD, results should be interpreted with caution due to the limitations resulting from the overall weak quality of the studies.The review protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021259125) and can be viewed at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=259125.
PubMed: 36993931
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1079471 -
Genes Feb 2023Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders and are considered multifactorial diseases with both genetic and environmental components....
Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders and are considered multifactorial diseases with both genetic and environmental components. Epigenetic dysregulation driven by adverse environmental factors has recently been documented in neurodevelopmental disorders as the possible etiological agent for their onset. However, most studies have focused on the epigenomes of the probands rather than on a possible epigenetic dysregulation arising in their mothers and influencing neurodevelopment during pregnancy. The aim of this research was to analyze the methylation profile of four well-known genes involved in neurodevelopment (, , and ) in the mothers of forty-five age-matched AS (Asperger Syndrome), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and typically developing children. We found a significant increase of methylation at the promoter of the and genes in AS mothers compared to ADHD and healthy control mothers. For the gene, promoter methylation was significantly higher in AS mothers compared to healthy control mothers only. The observed dysregulation in AS mothers could potentially contribute to the affected condition in their children deserving further investigation.
Topics: Child; Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Risk Factors; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mothers; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Epigenesis, Genetic
PubMed: 36980856
DOI: 10.3390/genes14030585 -
Neurology International Mar 2023Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a central nervous system (CNS) neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger's...
Hesperetin Ameliorates Inhibition of Neuronal and Oligodendroglial Cell Differentiation Phenotypes Induced by Knockdown of Rab2b, an Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Gene Product.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a central nervous system (CNS) neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger's syndrome. ASD is characterized by repetitive behaviors and social communication deficits. ASD is thought to be a multifactorial disorder with a range of genetic and environmental factors/candidates. Among such factors is the rab2b gene, although it remains unclear how Rab2b itself is related to the CNS neuronal and glial developmental disorganization observed in ASD patients. Rab2 subfamily members regulate intracellular vesicle transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi body. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report that Rab2b positively regulates neuronal and glial cell morphological differentiation. Knockdown of Rab2b inhibited morphological changes in N1E-115 cells, which are often used as the neuronal cell differentiation model. These changes were accomplished with decreased expression levels of marker proteins in neuronal cells. Similar results were obtained for FBD-102b cells, which are used as the model of oligodendroglial cell morphological differentiation. In contrast, knockdown of Rab2a, which is another Rab2 family member not known to be associated with ASD, affected only oligodendroglial and not neuronal morphological changes. In contrast, treatment with hesperetin, a citrus flavonoid with various cellular protective effects, in cells recovered the defective morphological changes induced by Rab2b knockdown. These results suggest that knockdown of Rab2b inhibits differentiation in neuronal and glial cells and may be associated with pathological cellular phenotypes in ASD and that hesperetin can recover their phenotypes at the in vitro level at least.
PubMed: 36976668
DOI: 10.3390/neurolint15010025 -
Molecular Autism Mar 2023Suicidality is highly prevalent in autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disabilities, and high autistic traits are found in adults who have attempted... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Suicidality is highly prevalent in autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disabilities, and high autistic traits are found in adults who have attempted suicide. However, prevalence rates for both autistic and possibly autistic people have not been synthesised meta-analytically.
AIMS
To (1) calculate pooled prevalence estimates of suicidality in autistic people and possibly autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disability; (2) evaluate the influence of participant and study level characteristics on heterogeneity; and (3) determine the quality of evidence.
METHODS
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. PsycINFO, Embase, MEDLINE and Web of Science were systematically searched from 1992 to January 25, 2022. Empirical quantitative studies reporting prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicide plans, or suicide attempts and behaviours were considered for inclusion. Random effects models were used to estimate pooled prevalence of each suicidality outcome with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was explored using sensitivity and moderator analyses.
RESULTS
Data from 48,186 autistic and possibly autistic participants in 36 primary studies were meta-analysed. Pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was 34.2% (95% CI 27.9-40.5), suicide plans 21.9% (13.4-30.4), and suicidal attempts and behaviours 24.3% (18.9-29.6). High levels of heterogeneity (I > 75) were observed in all three analyses. Estimates did not differ between autistic or possibly autistic samples. Geographical location (p = 0.005), transgender or gender non-conforming samples (p < 0.001) and type of report (p < 0.001) significantly moderated suicidal ideation, whereas age group (p = 0.001) and measure of suicidality (p = 0.001) significantly moderated suicide plans. There was a significant association between the proportion of male participants and prevalence of suicide plans, with a decrease in the proportion of males for every unit change of suicide plan prevalence (p = 0.013). No variables were found to moderate estimates of suicide attempts and behaviours.
CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm suicidality is highly prevalent in both autistic and possibly autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disability and highlights potential moderators. Possibly autistic individuals require more attention in clinical and research considerations going forward to further understand and prevent suicide in both groups.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Suicidal Ideation; Intellectual Disability; Autistic Disorder; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted
PubMed: 36922899
DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00544-7 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one the most disabling developmental disorders, imposing an extremely high economic burden. Obtaining as accurate prevalence estimates...
UNLABELLED
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one the most disabling developmental disorders, imposing an extremely high economic burden. Obtaining as accurate prevalence estimates as possible is crucial to guide governments in planning policies for identification and intervention for individuals with ASD and their relatives. The precision of prevalence estimates can be heightened by summative analyses of the data collected around the world. To that end, we conducted a three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis. A systematic search of the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases from 2000 up to 13 July 2020 was performed, and reference lists of previous reviews and existing databases of prevalence studies were screened. Overall, 79 studies were included in the analysis of ASD and 59-in the analysis of previously existing relevant diagnoses: 30 for Autistic Disorder (AD), 15 for Asperger Syndrome (AS), and 14 for Atypical Autism (AA) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); these research reports covered the period from 1994 to 2019. Pooled prevalence estimates were 0.72% (95% CI = 0.61-0.85) for ASD, 0.25% (95% CI = 0.18-0.33) for AD, 0.13% (95% CI = 0.07-0.20) for AS, and 0.18% (95% CI = 0.10-0.28) for the combined group of AA and PDD-NOS. Estimates were higher (1) for the studies that used records-review surveillance rather than other designs; (2) in North America compared with other geographical regions; and (3) in high-income compared with lower-income countries. The highest prevalence estimates were registered in the USA. There was an increase in autism prevalence estimates over time. The prevalence was also significantly higher for children aged between 6 and 12 years compared to children under the age of 5 and over the age of 13 years.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019131525, identifier CRD42019131525.
PubMed: 36846240
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1071181