Identifying Symbolic Relationships in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Deficit in the Identification of Temporal Co-occurrence?

Individuals with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience difficulties understanding the non-verbal cues conveyed by others that provide symbolic information about relationships between self, other, and environmental events. This study examined whether these difficulties reflect underlying problems in the identification of temporal co-occurrence, or in memorial, associative, or inference skills. The performance of a group of adolescents with ASD was compared to that of typically developing children and adolescents with learning difficulties on four tasks assessing these processes. The ASD group experienced specific difficulties when they were required to identify relationships signalled by the temporal co-occurrence of stimuli. These results are discussed in relation to theories of conceptual deduction in ASD, and a hypothesised role in social cognitive development for attention processes is outlined.     

Brief Report: Which Came First? Exploring Crossmodal Temporal Order Judgements and Their Relationship with Sensory Reactivity in Autism and Neurotypicals

Previous studies have indicated that visual-auditory temporal acuity is reduced in children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in comparison to neurotypicals. In the present study we investigated temporal acuity for all possible bimodal pairings of visual, tactile and auditory information in adults with ASC (n?=?18) and a matched control group (n?=?18). No group differences in temporal acuity for crossmodal stimuli were observed, suggesting that this may be typical in adults with ASC. However, visual-tactile temporal acuity and bias towards vision when presented with visual-auditory information were both predictors of self-reported sensory reactivity. This suggests that reduced multisensory temporal acuity and/or attention towards vision may contribute to atypical sensory reactivity.     

Which Comes First? An Examination of Associations and Shared Risk Factors for Eating Disorders and Suicidality

Purpose of Review

This narrative review evaluates recent literature on the associations between eating disorders and suicidality and discusses potential shared mechanisms that may account for these relationships. Additionally, the review highlights shortcomings with the literature to date and suggests avenues for future research.

Recent Findings

Individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder experience elevated rates of suicidality compared to the general population. Suicide risk is higher when eating disorders occur with other psychological conditions. Additionally, genetic factors, emotion dysregulation, trauma, stressful life events, and lack of body regard may have roles in the development of both eating disorders and suicidality.

Summary

Much of the risk for suicidality in eating disorders appears to be driven by comorbid psychopathology and genetic factors. However, the lack of longitudinal research makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the directionality or temporality of these relations; thus, novel methods are needed.

     

Are We Under-Estimating the Association Between Autism Symptoms?: The Importance of Considering Simultaneous Selection When Using Samples of Individuals Who Meet Diagnostic Criteria for an Autism Spectrum Disorder

The magnitude of symptom inter-correlations in diagnosed individuals has contributed to the evidence that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a fractionable disorder. Such correlations may substantially under-estimate the population correlations among symptoms due to simultaneous selection on the areas of deficit required for diagnosis. Using statistical simulations of this selection mechanism, we provide estimates of the extent of this bias, given different levels of population correlation between symptoms. We then use real data to compare domain inter-correlations in the Autism Spectrum Quotient, in those with ASD versus a combined ASD and non-ASD sample. Results from both studies indicate that samples restricted to individuals with a diagnosis of ASD potentially substantially under-estimate the magnitude of association between features of ASD.     

Which linear compartmental systems can be analyzed by spectral analysis of PET output data summed over all compartments?

General linear time-invariant compartmental systems were examined to determine which systems meet the conditions necessary for application of the spectral analysis technique to the sum of the concentrations in all compartments. Spectral analysis can be used to characterize the reversible and irreversible components of the system and to estimate the minimum number of compartments, but it applies only to systems in which the measured data can be expressed as a positively weighted sum of convolution integrals of the input function with an exponential function that has real-valued nonpositive decay constants. The conditions are met by compartmental systems that are strongly connected, have exchange of material with the environment confined to a single compartment, and do not contain cycles, i.e., there is no possibility for material to pass from one compartment through two or more compartments back to the initial compartment. Certain noncyclic systems with traps, systems with cycles that obey a specified loop condition, and noninterconnected collections of such systems also meet the conditions. Dynamic positron emission tomographic data obtained after injection of a radiotracer, the kinetics of which can be described by any model in the class of models identified here, can be appropriately analyzed with the spectral analysis technique.     

Do cognitive-behavioral group therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders have an advantage over individual treatments?

Group cognitive-behavior therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders for adult psychiatric patients were historically developed on the basis of validated individual treatments. They have been widely employed and studied for social phobia, panic disorders, agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorders, with generally positive results similar to those obtained with the corresponding individual methods. The cognitive-behavioural group treatments for generalized anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorders have not yet received sufficient validation. The results of evaluative research show that the format of the therapy (individual or group) does not appear to predict the outcome. Therefore an indication for an individual or a group therapy cannot be made on the basis of the diagnosis alone. It has to be based on other criteria, in particular economical, organisational or clinical. Group therapies can certainly offer advantages in comparison with individual procedures, even if they cannot always fit perfectly the specific needs of every patient. Indication has to be made individually, in order to allow the therapists to judge their patients' capacities and interest to participate in a group program.     

The Relationship Between Perceived Family Support and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: What is the Moderating Role of Coping Strategies and Gender?

This study examined the moderating role of gender and coping strategies in the relationship between perceived family support, self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Data were used from the My World Survey Second Level (MWS-SL), a national survey of mental health among 6062 young people aged 12–19 years. Conditional process analyses indicated that planned coping moderated the relationship between perceived family support and depressive symptoms for those engaging in low-moderate levels but not high levels of planned coping, and this moderating role was stronger for females than males. Avoidance coping was a moderator for those engaging in moderate-high but not low levels of avoidance coping, and gender also moderated this relationship. Support-focused coping only moderated the perceived family support/depressive symptoms relationship for females. Findings suggest that the strength of the relationship between perceived family support and depressive symptoms depends on level of engagement with a particular coping strategy, and this engagement is a consistently stronger moderator for females.     

Diagnostic Yield of Chromosomal Microarray Analysis in an Autism Primary Care Practice: Which Guidelines to Implement?

Genetic testing is recommended for patients with ASD; however specific recommendations vary by specialty. American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Neurology guidelines recommend G-banded karyotype and Fragile X DNA. The American College of Medical Genetics recommends Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA). We determined the yield of CMA (N?=?85), karyotype (N?=?119), and fragile X (N?=?174) testing in a primary pediatrics autism practice. We found twenty (24%) patients with abnormal CMA results (eight were clinically significant), three abnormal karyotypes and one Fragile X syndrome. There was no relationship between CMA result and cognitive level, seizures, dysmorphology, congenital malformations or behavior. We conclude that CMA should be the clinical standard in all specialties for first tier genetic testing in ASD.     

Predictors of Dropout from an Outpatient Treatment Program for Substance Use Disorders in India: a Retrospective Cohort Study of Patients Registered over a 10-Year Period (2009–2018)

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - This was a retrospective cohort study to determine the predictors of dropout in the first year from an out-patient treatment program...     

Is an irritable ADHD profile traceable using personality dimensions? Replicability,stability, and predictive value over time of data-driven profiles

Pediatric attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous condition. In particular, children with ADHD display varying profiles of dispositional traits, as assessed through temperament and personality questionnaires. Previous data-driven community detection analyses based on temperament dimensions identified an irritable profile of patients with ADHD, uniquely characterized by elevated emotional dysregulation symptoms. Belonging to this profile increased the risk of developing comorbid disorders. Here, we investigated whether we could replicate this profile in a sample of 178 children with ADHD, using community detection based on personality dimensions. Stability of the identified profiles, of individual classifications, and clinical prediction were longitudinally assessed over a 1-year interval. Three personality profiles were detected: The first two profiles had high levels of neuroticism, with the first displaying higher ADHD severity and lower openness to experience (profile 1; N = 38), and the second lower agreeableness (profile 2; N = 73). The third profile displayed scores closer to the normative range on all five factors (profile 3; N = 67). The identified profiles did only partially replicate the temperament-based profiles previously reported, as higher levels of neuroticism were found in two of the three detected profiles. Nonetheless, despite changes in individual classifications, the profiles themselves were highly stable over time and of clinical predictive value. Whereas children belonging to profiles 1 and 2 benefited from starting medication, children in profile 3 did not. Hence, belonging to an emotionally dysregulated profile at baseline predicted the effect of medication at follow-up over and above initial ADHD symptom severity. This finding suggests that personality profiles could play a role in predicting treatment response in ADHD.

     

Can depression and depressive symptoms predict mortality at 18-month follow-up in acutely medically ill inpatients over the age of 80 years?

Background. The prevalence of depression in acutely medically ill elderly inpatients is high. Depression in the elderly is associated with increased mortality. Method. The association between mortality at 18-month follow-up and depression, depressive symptoms and demographic variables at the outset in a cohort of acutely medically ill elderly inpatients was examined. Results. The mortality at 18-month follow-up was 47%. Depression, depressive symptoms and demographic variables were not associated with mortality. Conclusion. An important explanation of this absence of association between mortality and depression may be an artifact due to patient selection designed to resemble normal clinical practice. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.