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Scientific Reports Jun 2024Microtransactions provide optional, virtual, video game goods that, for an additional cost to the player, provide additional game content and alter the gameplay...
Microtransactions provide optional, virtual, video game goods that, for an additional cost to the player, provide additional game content and alter the gameplay experience. Loot boxes-a specific form of microtransaction-offer randomised rewards in exchange for payment, and are argued to be structurally and psychologically similar to gambling. Nascent research suggests that a link exists between autism and both problematic gaming and problematic gambling. Here, we investigated the relationships between autistic characteristics and experiences, and excessive video gaming and microtransaction expenditure. A sample of 1178 adults from Australia, Aotearoa, and The United States were recruited from Prolific Academic, and completed a survey measuring in-game expenditure, autistic characteristics and experiences, problematic gaming, problematic gambling, and risky loot box use. Analyses showed positive associations between autistic characteristics and experiences with problematic gaming and problem gambling symptomatology. However, results also showed a small, negative association between autistic characteristics and experiences and spending on loot boxes when problem gambling symptoms, problematic gaming, and risky loot box use were statistically controlled for. These results suggest that autistic gamers may be vulnerable to problematic gaming and gambling, but that this effect does not extend to the purchasing of microtransactions.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Video Games; Autistic Disorder; Gambling; Middle Aged; Australia; Young Adult; United States; Adolescent; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reward
PubMed: 38890438
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64812-z -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Face-processing timing differences may underlie visual social attention differences between autistic and non-autistic people, and males and females. This study...
Face-processing timing differences may underlie visual social attention differences between autistic and non-autistic people, and males and females. This study investigates the timing of the effects of neurotype and sex on face-processing, and their dependence on age. We analysed EEG data during upright and inverted photographs of faces from 492 participants from the Longitudinal European Autism Project (141 neurotypical males, 76 neurotypical females, 202 autistic males, 73 autistic females; age 6-30 years). We detected timings of sex/diagnosis effects on event-related potential amplitudes at the posterior-temporal channel P8 with Bootstrapped Cluster-based Permutation Analysis and conducted Growth Curve Analysis (GCA) to investigate the timecourse and dependence on age of neural signals. The periods of influence of neurotype and sex overlapped but differed in onset (respectively, 260 and 310 ms post-stimulus), with sex effects lasting longer. GCA revealed a smaller and later amplitude peak in autistic female children compared to non-autistic female children; this difference decreased in adolescence and was not significant in adulthood. No age-dependent neurotype difference was significant in males. These findings indicate that sex and neurotype influence longer latency face processing and implicates cognitive rather than perceptual processing. Sex may have more overarching effects than neurotype on configural face processing.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Adolescent; Child; Adult; Autistic Disorder; Young Adult; Electroencephalography; Brain; Evoked Potentials; Facial Recognition; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 38890406
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64387-9 -
Open Biology Jun 2024Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions associated with deficits in social interaction and communication, together with repetitive...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions associated with deficits in social interaction and communication, together with repetitive behaviours. The cell adhesion molecule protocadherin10 () is linked to ASD in humans. is expressed in the nervous system during embryonic and early postnatal development and is important for neural circuit formation. In mice, strong expression of in the ganglionic eminences and in the basolateral complex (BLC) of the amygdala was observed at mid and late embryonic stages, respectively. Both inhibitory and excitatory neurons expressed in the BLC at perinatal stages and vocalization-related genes were enriched in -expressing neurons in adult mice. An epitope-tagged -HAV5 mouse line revealed endogenous interactions of PCDH10 with synaptic proteins in the young postnatal telencephalon. Nuanced socio-affective communication changes in call emission rates, acoustic features and call subtype clustering were primarily observed in heterozygous pups of a conditional knockout (cKO) with selective deletion of in -lineage interneurons. These changes were less prominent in heterozygous ubiquitous KO pups, suggesting that altered anxiety levels associated with -lineage interneuron functioning might drive the behavioural effects. Together, loss of specifically in interneurons contributes to behavioural alterations in socio-affective communication with relevance to ASD.
Topics: Animals; Cadherins; Interneurons; Mice; Protocadherins; Mice, Knockout; Amygdala; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Vocalization, Animal; Male; Social Behavior
PubMed: 38889770
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240113 -
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance Jun 2024Delay in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in toddlers and postnatal depression (PND) is a major public health issue. In both cases, early... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Delay in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in toddlers and postnatal depression (PND) is a major public health issue. In both cases, early intervention is crucial but too rarely implemented in practice.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine if a dedicated mobile app can improve screening of 5 NDDs (autism spectrum disorder [ASD], language delay, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) and reduce PND incidence.
METHODS
We performed an observational, cross-sectional, data-based study in a population of young parents in France with at least 1 child aged <10 years at the time of inclusion and regularly using Malo, an "all-in-one" multidomain digital health record electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) app for smartphones. We included the first 50,000 users matching the criteria and agreeing to participate between May 1, 2022, and February 8, 2024. Parents received periodic questionnaires assessing skills in neurodevelopment domains via the app. Mothers accessed a support program to prevent PND and were requested to answer regular PND questionnaires. When any PROs matched predefined criteria, an in-app recommendation was sent to book an appointment with a family physician or pediatrician. The main outcomes were the median age of the infant at the time of notification for possible NDD and the incidence of PND detection after childbirth. One secondary outcome was the relevance of the NDD notification by consultation as assessed by health professionals.
RESULTS
Among 55,618 children median age 4 months (IQR 9), 439 (0.8%) had at least 1 disorder for which consultation was critically necessary. The median ages of notification for probable ASD, language delay, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and ADHD were 32.5 (IQR 12.8), 16 (IQR 13), 36 (IQR 22.5), 80 (IQR 5), and 61 (IQR 15.5) months, respectively. The rate of probable ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, language delay, and dyspraxia in the population of children of the age included between the detection limits of each alert was 1.48%, 0.21%, 1.52%, 0.91%, and 0.37%, respectively. Sensitivity of alert notifications for suspected NDDs as assessed by the physicians was 78.6% and specificity was 98.2%. Among 8243 mothers who completed a PND questionnaire, highly probable PND was detected in 938 (11.4%), corresponding to a reduction of -31% versus our previous study without a support program. Suspected PND was detected a median 96 days (IQR 86) after childbirth. Among 130 users who filled in the satisfaction survey, 99.2% (129/130) found the app easy to use and 70% (91/130) reported that the app improved follow-up of their child. The app was rated 4.8/5 on Apple's App Store.
CONCLUSIONS
Algorithm-based early alerts suggesting NDDs were highly specific with good sensitivity as assessed by real-life practitioners. Early detection of 5 NDDs and PNDs was efficient and led to a possible 31% reduction in PND incidence.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06301087; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06301087.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Mobile Applications; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Early Diagnosis; Male; Child, Preschool; Child; Depression, Postpartum; Infant; France; Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38888952
DOI: 10.2196/58565 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2024The effect of mental disorders (MD) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial, and this study aims to analyze the causal relationship between eight MD and...
OBJECTIVE
The effect of mental disorders (MD) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial, and this study aims to analyze the causal relationship between eight MD and CVD by Mendelian randomization (MR).
METHODS
Single nucleotide polymorphisms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anorexia nervosa (AN), anxiety disorder (ANX), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and CVD were obtained from UK Biobank and FinnGen. Exposure-outcome causality was tested using inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median. Horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity were assessed by MR-Egger intercept and Cochran's Q, respectively, while stability of results was assessed by leave-one-out sensitivity analysis.
RESULTS
MR analysis showed that ANX (IVW [odds ratio (OR) 1.11, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.07-1.15, < 0.001]; MR-Egger [OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92-1.14, = 0.652]; weighted median [OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.14, = 0.001]), ASD (IVW [OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.09, = 0.039]; MR-Egger [OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.84-1.07, = 0.411]; weighted median [OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.96-1.06, = 0.805]), depression (IVW [OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10-1.19, < 0.001]; MR-Egger [OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.96-1.26, = 0.169]; weighted median [OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.08-1.19, < 0.001]) were significantly associated with increased risk of CVD, whereas ADHD, AN, BD, OCD, and SCZ were not significantly associated with CVD ( > 0.05). Intercept analysis showed no horizontal pleiotropy ( > 0.05). Cochran's Q showed no heterogeneity except for BD ( = 0.035). Sensitivity analysis suggested that these results were robust.
CONCLUSIONS
ANX, ASD, and depression are associated with an increased risk of CVD, whereas AN, ADHD, BD, OCD, and SCZ are not causally associated with CVD. Active prevention and treatment of ANX, ASD, and depression may help reduce the risk of CVD.
PubMed: 38887450
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1329463 -
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Jun 2024Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been linked to the dysregulation in the cholinergic and endocannabinoid (EC) system. This study...
INTRODUCTION
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been linked to the dysregulation in the cholinergic and endocannabinoid (EC) system. This study systematically reviews the present literature on treatment strategies aimed at enhancing the activity of both systems in ASD models.
METHOD
We performed a systematic evaluation of literatures that investigated the effects of different therapeutic interventions on the components of the cholinergic and EC systems in ASD models, following the guidelines provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Four databases were searched: Google Scholar, Web of science, EMBASE and MEDLINE/PubMed, between August 2012 and February 2023. The selected research papers' references were also examined. Twelve papers (five for cholinergic system, six for EC system and one for the two systems) were reviewed in this study of prior relevant treatment strategies that impact both systems. There were 77 studies cited in total.
RESULTS
The majority of research revealed that different therapeutic interventions down-regulated cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, and the systems hydrolyzing enzymes and up-regulated EC, Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR), and acetylcholine signaling molecules. The regulation of the components of the cholinergic and EC systems by the therapeutics generally enhanced behaviors in ASD models.
CONCLUSION
It is possible that there are therapeutic interventions assessed in one of the systems that may be effective in treating the core ASD-associated phenotype. The benefits of the reviewed therapeutic interventions in this study need to be further investigated in randomized, blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
PubMed: 38885129
DOI: 10.47626/2237-6089-2024-0791 -
Psychiatry and Clinical... Mar 2024This study aims to examine the levels and the relationship between resilience and marital adjustment in mothers of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
BACKGROUND
This study aims to examine the levels and the relationship between resilience and marital adjustment in mothers of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
METHODS
Seventy mothers with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have been followed up in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Bakırköy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery and 74 mothers with a typically developing child to form the control group were included in the study. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale was applied to assess the severity of autism symptoms in children. Sociodemographic form, Beck Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Scale were applied. The Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults was used to assess resilience. The Marital Adjustment Scale was applied to evaluate the participants' marital adjustment.
RESULTS
The level of resilience ( < .001) and marital adjustment ( = .002) in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder were found to be lower when compared to mothers with a typically developing child. There is a negative correlation between the level of resilience and the severity of autism ( = .002) ( = -0.361). A positive correlation was found between marital adjustment and resilience ( < .001) ( = 0.465). High levels of depressive symptoms ( = .003), low marital adjustment ( = .003), and low educational level were found to be predictive of low resilience ( = .044).
CONCLUSION
Taking advantage of the fact that resilience is a dynamic process, there is a need to develop strategies to increase resilience in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, which will also give rise to individual and marital well-being.
PubMed: 38883886
DOI: 10.5152/pcp.2023.22592 -
Research Square Jun 2024Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world "social contexts," despite the fact that challenges with language,...
BACKGROUND
Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world "social contexts," despite the fact that challenges with language, communication, and social interaction are core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
METHODS
We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of =20 autistic and =20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children's brain response to "live language" spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and "recorded language" played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children's brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales.
RESULTS
In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children's language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children's language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills.
LIMITATIONS
Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
PubMed: 38883761
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450882/v1 -
MedRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical patterns of social functioning and repetitive/restricted behaviors. ASD...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical patterns of social functioning and repetitive/restricted behaviors. ASD commonly co-occurs with ADHD and, despite their clinical distinctiveness, the two share considerable genetic overlap. Given their shared genetic liability, it is unclear which genetic pathways confer unique risk for ASD independent of ADHD. We applied Genomic Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to GWAS summary statistics for ASD and ADHD, decomposing the genetic signal for ASD into that which is unique to ASD ( and that which is shared with ADHD. We computed genetic correlations between and 75 external traits to estimate genetic overlap between and other clinically relevant phenotypes. We went on to apply Stratified Genomic SEM to identify classes of genes enriched for . Finally, we implemented Transcriptome-Wide SEM (T-SEM) to explore patterns of gene-expression associated with . We observed positive genetic correlations between and several external traits, most notably those relating to cognitive/educational outcomes and internalizing psychiatric traits. Stratified Genomic SEM showed that heritability for was significantly enriched in genes involved in evolutionarily conserved processes, as well as for a histone mark in the germinal matrix. T-SEM revealed 83 unique genes with expression associated with many of which were novel. These findings delineate the unique biological underpinnings of ASD which exist independent of ADHD and demonstrate the utility of Genomic SEM and its extensions for disambiguating shared and unique risk pathways for genetically overlapping traits.
PubMed: 38883730
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.24308616 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Mar 2024The arginine vasopressin 1b receptor (Avpr1b) plays an important role in social behaviors including social learning, memory, and aggression, and is known to be a...
The arginine vasopressin 1b receptor (Avpr1b) plays an important role in social behaviors including social learning, memory, and aggression, and is known to be a specific marker for the cornu ammonis area 2 (CA2) regions of the hippocampus. The fasciola cinereum (FC) is an anatomical region in which Avpr1b expressing neurons are prominent, but the functional roles of the FC have yet to be investigated. Surprisingly, the FC is absent in the inbred BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) mouse strain used to study core behavioral deficits of autism. Here, we characterized and compared transcriptomic expression profiles using single nucleus RNA sequencing and identified 7 different subpopulations and heterogeneity within the dorsal CA2 (dCA2) and FC. involved in autism spectrum disorder, is more highly expressed in the FC. Using Hiplex hybridization, we examined the neuroanatomical locations of these subpopulations in the proximal and distal regions of the hippocampus. Anterograde tracing of Avpr1b neurons specific for the FC showed projections to the IG, dCA2, lacunosum molecular layer of CA1, dorsal fornix, septofibrial nuclei, and intermediate lateral septum (iLS). In contrast to the dCA2, inhibition of Avpr1b neurons in the FC by the inhibitory DREADD system during behavioral testing did not impair social memory. We performed single nucleus RNA sequencing in the dCA2 region and compared between wildtype (WT) and BTBR mice. We found that transcriptomic profiles of dCA2 neurons between BTBR and WT mice are very similar as they did not form any unique clusters; yet, we found there were differentially expressed genes between the dCA2s of BTBR and WT mice. Overall, this is a comprehensive study of the comparison of Avpr1b neuronal subpopulations between the FC and dCA2. The fact that FC is absent in BTBR mice, a mouse model for autism spectrum disorder, suggests that the FC may play a role in understanding neuropsychiatric disease.
PubMed: 38883723
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586108