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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 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2022One of the great challenges in psychiatry is finding reliable biomarkers that may allow for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients. Neural variability...
One of the great challenges in psychiatry is finding reliable biomarkers that may allow for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients. Neural variability received increasing attention in recent years as a potential biomarker. In the present explorative study we investigated temporal variability in visually evoked EEG activity in a cohort of 16 adult participants with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and 19 neurotypical (NT) controls. Participants performed a visual oddball task using fine and coarse checkerboard stimuli. We investigated various measures of neural variability and found effects on multiple time scales. (1) As opposed to the previous studies, we found reduced inter-trial variability in the AS group compared to NT. (2) This effect builds up over the entire course of a 5-min experiment and (3) seems to be based on smaller variability of neural background activity in AS compared to NTs. The here reported variability effects come with considerably large effect sizes, making them promising candidates for potentially reliable biomarkers in psychiatric diagnostics. The observed pattern of universality across different time scales and stimulation conditions indicates trait-like effects. Further research with a new and larger set of participants are thus needed to verify or falsify our findings.
Topics: Adult; Attention; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Electroencephalography; Humans
PubMed: 35906301
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17304-x -
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 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022The origin of moral agency is a much-debated issue. While rationalists or Kantians have argued that moral agency is rooted in reason, sentimentalists or Humeans have...
The origin of moral agency is a much-debated issue. While rationalists or Kantians have argued that moral agency is rooted in reason, sentimentalists or Humeans have ascribed its origin to empathic feelings. This debate between rationalists and sentimentalists still stands with respect to persons with mental disorders, such as individuals diagnosed with mild forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), without intellectual impairment. Individuals with ASD are typically regarded as moral agents, however their ability for empathy remains debated. The goal of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms of moral actions in people with ASD, by finding arguments for the origin of their moral actions, supporting either the sentimentalist or the rationalist view of the dispute. We propose to revisit the debate using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to study the autobiographies of individuals with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome (AS). While conducting the systematic analysis of 10 autobiographies, we re-examined both the rationalist and the sentimentalist positions, considering the links between empathic feelings and moral agency. The investigation of the temporal dimensions of emotional experiences, an aspect overlooked by previous research, indicated that individuals with ASD empathize with others, but in different ways as compared to neurotypicals. A relationship between emotional experience and the type of moral agency exhibited by individuals with forms of ASD was established. As a consequence, our analyses support the sentimentalist stance on moral action.
PubMed: 35837636
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875680 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022There is very little knowledge regarding autistic adult services, practices, and delivery. The study objective was to improve understanding of current services and...
There is very little knowledge regarding autistic adult services, practices, and delivery. The study objective was to improve understanding of current services and practices for autistic adults and opportunities for improvement as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (ASDEU) project. Separate survey versions were created for autistic adults, carers of autistic adults, and professionals in adult services. 2,009 persons responded to the survey and 1,085 (54%) of them completed at least one of the services sections: 469 autistic adults (65% female; 55% <35 years old), 441 carers of autistic adults (27% female; 6% <35 years old), 175 professionals in adult services (76% female; 67% in non-medical services). Top choices by autistic adults, carers or professionals for services best suiting their current needs were: residential services: "help in own home" (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), "fulltime residential facility" (carers of low independent adults); employment services: "job mentors" (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), "Sheltered employment" (carers of low independent adults); education services: "support in regular education setting" (all groups); financial services: financial support in lieu of employment ("Supplementary income for persons unable to have full employment" for adults, "full pension" for carers of low independent adults) or to supplement employment earnings for carers of high independent adults and professionals; social services: "behavior training" (adults) and "life skills training" (carers and professionals). Waiting times for specific services were generally < 1 month or 1-3 months, except for residential services which could be up to 6 months; most professionals were uninformed of waiting times (>50% responded "don't know"). Five of seven residential services features recommended for autistic adults were experienced by <50% of adults. The knowledge of good local services models that work well for autistic adults was generally low across all services areas. The variation in services experiences and perceptions reported by autistic adults, carers, or professionals underscore the need to query all groups for a complete picture of community services availability and needs. The results showed areas for potential improvement in autistic adult services delivery in the EU to achieve recommended standards.
PubMed: 35757227
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.919234 -
Nursing Forum Sep 2022Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) may have advanced mental reasoning; however, symptomology may vary within...
BACKGROUND
Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) may have advanced mental reasoning; however, symptomology may vary within the population. Possible symptomology includes communication problems, difficulty relating to people, things, and events, and sensory sensitivity. Current concepts in determining health behavior are not applicable to the ASD without ID population.
AIM
The aim of this analysis is to define the concept of egocentric norm in the context of health-based decisions of adults diagnosed with ASD without ID and to support improved nursing practice with this population.
DESIGN
The Walker and Avant approach was used. Model, borderline, and contrary cases are offered.
DATA SOURCE
Literature search yielded 47 peer reviewed papers that were included in the analysis.
REVIEW METHODS
Uses of the concept were reviewed, following the Walker and Avant approach.
RESULTS
Egocentric norm is defined as an individual's ability to perceive, adapt, and respond to information and potential consequences of personal health behavior based on self-evaluation and the immediate environment with limited regard to peer and family influence.
CONCLUSIONS
The new concept of egocentric norm may account for the unique dynamics presented by adults with ASD without ID, which may impact health behaviors and actions.
Topics: Adult; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Decision Making; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Peer Group
PubMed: 35752609
DOI: 10.1111/nuf.12763 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022Next-generation sequencing techniques have accelerated the discovery of rare mutations responsible for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in genes involved in a large number...
Next-generation sequencing techniques have accelerated the discovery of rare mutations responsible for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in genes involved in a large number of physiological processes, including the control of gene expression, chromatin remodeling, signaling pathways, synaptic scaffolding, neurotransmitter receptors, and lipid metabolism. Genetic diagnosis provides subjects with an explanation of the cause of their disorder. However, it does not, or at least does not yet, shed light on the psychopathological phenomena specific to the individual. It could be hypothesized that each physiological impact of a mutation corresponds to a specific psychopathological phenomenon of ASD, i.e., "a psychopathological natural kind". We discuss here the difficulties identifying this specificity of underlying psychopathology in individuals with ASD due to a rare mutation with a major effect. A comparison of Newson's and Wing's with Asperger's highlights different ways of approaching psychopathological descriptions and diagnosis, by focusing on either common or unusual features. Such a comparison calls into question the principles of clinical research recommended by Falret for characterizing "disease individuality" of ASD due to a rare mutation.
PubMed: 35747097
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.862410 -
Dementia & Neuropsychologia 2022Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and inflexible behaviors/interests. To quantify ASD traits in adults with preserved...
UNLABELLED
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and inflexible behaviors/interests. To quantify ASD traits in adults with preserved intelligence, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) was developed, which is a self-report instrument and one of the most used and recommended tools.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to present a descriptive analysis of the AQ in a sample of Brazilian adults with neurotypical development (n=385) and investigate how the scale performs in a clinical subsample (n=33).
METHODS
We recruited 1,024 participants. They answered the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), AQ, and about their psychiatric record. Then, we selected 385 participants without any psychiatric diagnosis to describe the distribution of the ASD traits. To investigate the AQ performance, we evaluated 33 adults with ASD and 19 adults with neurotypical development from the total sample (n=1,024).
RESULTS
ASD traits were normally distributed in the population, with high internal consistency. Of a total of 91 men, volunteers with 32 points (clinical cutoff point) or more scored higher than 93% of the control sample. Of a total of 294 women, those who got a clinical score on the scale scored higher than 97%. In the clinical subsample (n=33), the positive predictive value (PPV) of the AQ was 0.84, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.7.
CONCLUSIONS
The study population has a different profile compared to the original study regarding the AQ scale. ASD traits were normally distributed in the neurotypical sample, and the scale seems to have a satisfactory performance to predict ASD. Future studies are required to adequate the use of the scale in the Brazilian population.
PubMed: 35720649
DOI: 10.1590/1980-5764-DN-2021-0081 -
Journal of Autism and Developmental... Jul 2023The Adult Autism Quotient (AQ), the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the Relative's Questionnaire (RQ) were used as part of the Adult Asperger's Assessment (AAA) by a...
The Adult Autism Quotient (AQ), the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the Relative's Questionnaire (RQ) were used as part of the Adult Asperger's Assessment (AAA) by a diagnostic service for adults without an intellectual disability with suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This service is part of the National Health Service (NHS) in England. Little is known about the utility of these structured questionnaires despite wide use in clinical practice. It was investigated whether the questionnaires could discriminate between individuals with and without a diagnosis of ASD. Receiver Operating Curve analysis showed good levels of sensitivity to detect a positive diagnosis, but the specificity to exclude those without a diagnosis was poor. A binary logistic regression showed that a combination of the questionnaires also showed limited diagnostic validity. These findings have clinical implications in reviewing the efficiency of the assessment process.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Autism Spectrum Disorder; State Medicine; Autistic Disorder; Surveys and Questionnaires; Empathy; Asperger Syndrome
PubMed: 35441251
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05544-9 -
Nature Apr 2022Over the past few decades, neuroimaging has become a ubiquitous tool in basic research and clinical studies of the human brain. However, no reference standards currently...
Over the past few decades, neuroimaging has become a ubiquitous tool in basic research and clinical studies of the human brain. However, no reference standards currently exist to quantify individual differences in neuroimaging metrics over time, in contrast to growth charts for anthropometric traits such as height and weight. Here we assemble an interactive open resource to benchmark brain morphology derived from any current or future sample of MRI data ( http://www.brainchart.io/ ). With the goal of basing these reference charts on the largest and most inclusive dataset available, acknowledging limitations due to known biases of MRI studies relative to the diversity of the global population, we aggregated 123,984 MRI scans, across more than 100 primary studies, from 101,457 human participants between 115 days post-conception to 100 years of age. MRI metrics were quantified by centile scores, relative to non-linear trajectories of brain structural changes, and rates of change, over the lifespan. Brain charts identified previously unreported neurodevelopmental milestones, showed high stability of individuals across longitudinal assessments, and demonstrated robustness to technical and methodological differences between primary studies. Centile scores showed increased heritability compared with non-centiled MRI phenotypes, and provided a standardized measure of atypical brain structure that revealed patterns of neuroanatomical variation across neurological and psychiatric disorders. In summary, brain charts are an essential step towards robust quantification of individual variation benchmarked to normative trajectories in multiple, commonly used neuroimaging phenotypes.
Topics: Body Height; Brain; Humans; Longevity; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neuroimaging
PubMed: 35388223
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04554-y