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Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024Critical phases of neurodevelopment and gut microbiota diversification occur in early life and both processes are impacted by genetic and environmental factors. Recent...
Functional contribution of the intestinal microbiome in autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Rett syndrome: a systematic review of pediatric and adult studies.
INTRODUCTION
Critical phases of neurodevelopment and gut microbiota diversification occur in early life and both processes are impacted by genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies have shown the presence of gut microbiota alterations in neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we performed a systematic review of alterations of the intestinal microbiota composition and function in pediatric and adult patients affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Rett syndrome (RETT).
METHODS
We searched selected keywords in the online databases of PubMed, Cochrane, and OVID (January 1980 to December 2021) with secondary review of references of eligible articles. Two reviewers independently performed critical appraisals on the included articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program for each study design.
RESULTS
Our systematic review identified 18, 7, and 3 original articles describing intestinal microbiota profiles in ASD, ADHD, and RETT, respectively. Decreased Firmicutes and increased Bacteroidetes were observed in the gut microbiota of individuals affected by ASD and ADHD. Proinflammatory cytokines, short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitter levels were altered in ASD and RETT. Constipation and visceral pain were related to changes in the gut microbiota in patients affected by ASD and RETT. Hyperactivity and impulsivity were negatively correlated with (phylum Firmicutes) and positively correlated with sp. (phylum Bacteroidetes) in ADHD subjects. Five studies explored microbiota-or diet-targeted interventions in ASD and ADHD. Probiotic treatments with sp. and fecal microbiota transplantation from healthy donors reduced constipation and ameliorated ASD symptoms in affected children. Perinatal administration of sp. prevented the onset of Asperger and ADHD symptoms in adolescence. Micronutrient supplementation improved disease symptomatology in ADHD without causing significant changes in microbiota communities' composition.
DISCUSSION
Several discrepancies were found among the included studies, primarily due to sample size, variations in dietary practices, and a high prevalence of functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Further studies employing longitudinal study designs, larger sample sizes and multi-omics technologies are warranted to identify the functional contribution of the intestinal microbiota in developmental trajectories of the human brain and neurobehavior.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://clinicaltrials.gov/, CRD42020158734.
PubMed: 38516317
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1341656 -
L'Encephale Apr 2024Humor is essential to social relationships. Its use and understanding appear to be impaired in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The main objective was to...
OBJECTIVES
Humor is essential to social relationships. Its use and understanding appear to be impaired in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The main objective was to review the existing literature on the detection, understanding and use of humor in persons with ASD. The secondary objective involved exploring assessment scales and specific intervention tools.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature was carried out on all available French and English scientific papers about humor - including irony - in persons with ASD up to November 2021. We extracted 552 references and included 43 articles from six databases.
RESULTS
Studies suggest that those with ASD can detect audiovisual and written humor. Understanding humor was impaired in writing and when using pure auditory stimuli and non-verbal cartoons. For irony, the results indicated a lower detection of quality and less understanding in speaking but not in writing. Regarding its use, in terms of expression, people with ASD use benevolent humor less often and do not consider humor as a key source of satisfaction with life, as opposed to the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
It appears that it would be worthwhile to develop standardized humor detection and assessment tools specific to persons with ASD. Practical strategies that focus on humor ability could be worth developing, either individually or in groups.
Topics: Humans; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Interpersonal Relations
PubMed: 38176977
DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2023.10.002 -
Cureus Sep 2023Autism spectrum disorder is made up of several disorders, which include autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Boys are four times more likely... (Review)
Review
Autism spectrum disorder is made up of several disorders, which include autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls with autism spectrum disorder, and symptoms usually become apparent by the age of three. Autism spectrum disorders' core characteristic features are abnormal interaction, impairment in communication, and stereotyped behaviors with restricted activities and interests. There are also non-core features associated with autism spectrum disorder, and these are aggression, self-injurious behavior, and tantrums. To date, there is no one drug approved to treat the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, but antipsychotic drugs such as risperidone have been shown to be effective at treating both core and non-core symptoms in controlled trials using multiple behavioral rating scales such as the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist subscale, the Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale, the Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Scale, the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, and the Social Withdrawal Subscale. The safety, efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of risperidone were assessed in these studies, and weight gain was a common side effect observed, but the outcome was usually mild and self-limiting. The effect of risperidone on cognition was explored in this article. The studies selected for this article were of small sample size and short duration, which presented limitations for treatment with risperidone and an area that needs to be explored further for its contribution to clinical practice.
PubMed: 37731686
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45524 -
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 -
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 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Oct 2022Oxytocin (OXT) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that is released from the posterior pituitary gland and at specific targets in the central nervous system (CNS). The... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Oxytocin (OXT) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that is released from the posterior pituitary gland and at specific targets in the central nervous system (CNS). The prosocial effects of OXT acting in the CNS present it as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this article, we systematically review the functional MRI (fMRI) literature that reports task-state and resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) studies of the neural effects of single or multiple dose intranasal OXT (IN-OXT) administration in individuals with ASD.
METHOD
We searched four databases for relevant documents (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) using the keywords "autism spectrum disorder", "Asperger Syndrome", "oxytocin", and "fMRI". Moreover, we made a manual search to assess the quality of our automatic search. The search was confined to English language articles published in the interval February 2013 until March 2021.
RESULTS
The search yielded 12 fMRI studies with OXT intervention, including 288 individuals with ASD (age 8-55 years) enrolled in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel designs, within-subject-crossover experimental OXT trials. Studies reporting activation task and rsfMRI were summarized with region of interest (ROI) or whole-brain voxel wise analysis. The systematic review of the 12 studies supported the proposition that IN-OXT administration alters brain activation in individuals with ASD. The effects of IN-OXT interacted with the type of the task and the overall results did not indicate restoration of normal brain activation in ASD signature regions albeit the lack of statistical evidence.
CONCLUSION
A large body of evidence consistently indicates that OXT alters activation to fMRI in brain networks of individuals with ASD, but with uncertain implications for alleviation of their social deficits.
Topics: Administration, Intranasal; Adolescent; Adult; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Child; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Oxytocin; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Young Adult
PubMed: 35933858
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.033 -
Iranian Journal of Public Health Mar 2022The role of parents in taking care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is critical. This systematic review aimed to investigate the characteristics and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The role of parents in taking care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is critical. This systematic review aimed to investigate the characteristics and results of parent training interventions for autistic children.
METHODS
All relevant studies were searched using Boolean operators such as "AND" and "OR" with the keywords such as "Autism Spectrum Disorders," "Autism," "Autistic disorder," "Asperger syndrome," "Rett's syndrome", "Childhood disintegrative disorder", "Non-specific pervasive disorder", Parent*, Education*, train*, teach*, indoctrinate*, and instruct* in electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Web of knowledge, and also via manual searching in relevant journals, checking the reference list of articles, expert contact, and grey literature from 1 Jan 2000 to 30 Feb 2020. The retrieved studies were screened and reviewed then quality assessed by CONSORT checklist. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis method.
RESULTS
Eventually, 53 articles were considered in which 1758 parents with autistic children participated. Overall, 49 studies were conducted in high-income countries, 19 at home, 25 in training centers, 14 carried out only in training way, 39 in training along with practices and assignments, 30 individual interventions, and 21 in groups. Moreover, the effectiveness of interventions was studied in both parents and children groups. The results for parents show direct and indirect favorable impacts of interventions on them. The results for the children indicate direct and indirect favorable effects of the parents-based interventions on the child and the symptoms of their disorder.
CONCLUSION
According to the included studies, parents-based training interventions significantly impact parents and their children's behavior.
PubMed: 35865044
DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v51i3.8927 -
The Journal of Obstetrics and... Oct 2021This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients in pregnancy. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIM
This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients in pregnancy.
METHODS
In this study, eligible studies were searched on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to December 31, 2020. Data were calculated and presented by frequency and percentage, mean ± standard deviation (SD), and median (range), respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
RESULTS
Finally, 34 studies including 40 ovarian cancer cases receiving chemotherapy during pregnancy were included. All 40 patients received chemotherapy during pregnancy. During the follow-up, seven of 37 (18.9%) women had a relapse and four of them (4/7, 57.1%) died of recurrence. Survival analysis failed to reach median OS and PFS within the follow-up (range 3-72 months). Better OS and PFS after chemotherapy in pregnancy were obtained in women with early-stage ovarian cancer (I) compared with those with advanced stage (III-IV). Neither OS nor FS differed between women treated with multi-drugs and those with monotherapy. Forty-one newborns were delivered from 40 pregnant women. Thirty-four (34/41, 82.9%) were completely healthy at birth and the end of follow-up (range 0.18-160 months). However, one newborn died 5 days after birth due to multiple congenital malformations, and another one developed Tourette's syndrome, aphasia, Asperger's syndrome as well as speech delay.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis first reveals the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer during pregnancy, especially for early-stage patients. Cisplatin or carboplatin is suggested to be used as monotherapy to reduce adverse effects.
Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carboplatin; Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; Cisplatin; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Ovarian Neoplasms; Pregnancy
PubMed: 34342108
DOI: 10.1111/jog.14957 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders which show substantial cognitive heterogeneity in adulthood, yet it remains unclear...
Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Performance in Neurodevelopmental Disorders during Adulthood: Comparisons between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders which show substantial cognitive heterogeneity in adulthood, yet it remains unclear whether cognitive profiles may overlap across these diagnoses. Thus, the aim of this review was to summarize comparisons between ASD and schizophrenia on nonsocial cognition in adulthood. To minimize between-study heterogeneity in a relatively small literature, subtest scaled scores from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale were compared between ASD (=190) and schizophrenia (=260) in six studies comprising a total of 450 participants. Meta-analyses of 11 subtests indicated that participants with ASD demonstrated significantly better performance than schizophrenia for visuospatial perception and reasoning and problem solving (Hedge's =0.636), as well as visual attention and organization (=0.433-0.475). Participants with ASD also demonstrated better performance than those with schizophrenia for working memory (=0.334) and language (=0.275), and generally comparable performance on processing speed and verbal comprehension. These findings were largely stable across age, sex, intelligence quotient (IQ), intellectual disability, scale version, and age- and sex-matching. Overall, ASD and schizophrenia showed striking differences in visuospatial perception and reasoning and problem solving, small differences in working memory and language, and substantial overlap in processing speed and verbal comprehension. These cognitive profiles were generally stable from adolescence to middle adulthood. To our knowledge, this is the first review to summarize comparisons of nonsocial cognition in verbal adults with ASD or schizophrenia. These findings are consistent with and substantially extend prior meta-analyses of case-control studies for ASD and schizophrenia (8, 9), which also suggest that, in comparison to neurotypical controls, ASD demonstrates smaller cognitive impairments than schizophrenia across most cognitive domains, particularly working memory, visuospatial learning/memory, and language. Our findings therefore highlight the importance of comparing cognition transdiagnostically to inform the etiologies of these neurodevelopmental disorders and to refine shared and unique targets for remediating cognition.
PubMed: 32273855
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00187