Serum levels of Glial fibrillary acidic protein in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders

ObjectiveGlial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been studied in many neurological diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential role of GFAP in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by measuring serum circulating levels of GFAP and comparing them with age and gender-matched typical development children.MethodsA total of one hundred and fifty 2–6 years old Chinese children (75 confirmed autism cases and 75 their age-gender matched typical development children) participated in this study. Serum levels of GFAP were assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, and severity of ASD was evaluated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Score.ResultsThe results indicated that the mean serum GFAP level was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in autistic children as compared to controls (1.71 ± 0.53 ng/ml vs. 0.99 ± 0.25 ng/ml). There was a significant positive association between serum GFAP levels and CARS scores (r [Pearson] = 0.390, P = 0.001). Based on the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the optimal cut-off value of serum GFAP levels as an indicator for auxiliary diagnosis of autism was projected to be 1.28 ng/ml which yielded a sensitivity of 77.3% and a specificity of 88.4%, the area under the curve was 0.895(95%CI, 0.844–0.947). Further, an increased risk of ASD was associated with GFAP levels >1.28 ng/ml (adjusted OR 9.88, 95% CI: 3.32–17.82) in the multivariate logistic analysis model.ConclusionThe data indicates that serum GFAP levels may be associated with severity of ASD among Chinese children, suggesting the hypothesis that increased serum levels of GFAP could be implicated in the pathophysiology of autism in Chinese children.     

Role of serum levels of neurotensin in children with autism spectrum disorder

AimNeuroinflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of autism in some patients. The aim of this study was to measure serum levels of neurotensin (NTS) in relation to the degree of the severity of autism.MethodsSerum NTS was measured in autistic children (n = 38; mean age 7.02 ± 2.03 years) and healthy, unrelated sex matched controls (n = 39); mean age 7.25 ± 1.64 years). The severity of autism symptoms was assessed using Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores.ResultsThe serum level of NTS was significantly (P < 0.001) lower in autistic children (mean ± S.D. = 54.71 ± 12.4 pg/ml) than control group (mean ± S.D. = 77.58 ± 10.29 pg/ml). Children with severe autism had significantly lower serum NTS levels than patients with mild to moderate autism (P < 0.002). There was significant negative correlation between serum levels of NTS and CARS SCORES (r² = 0.79, P = 0.001).ConclusionsSerum NTS levels were elevated in some autistic children and they were significantly correlated with the severity of autism. However, this is an initial report that warrants further research to determine the pathogenic role of NTS and its possible link to neuroinflammation in autism.     

Inattention and hyperactivity in association with autism spectrum disorders in the CHARGE study

BackgroundAttention deficits in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood. This study sought to determine: 1) the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in young children with ASD, typical development (TD), and developmental delay (DD) and 2) the association between ADHD symptoms and cognitive and behavioral functioning in children with ASD.MethodADHD symptoms, defined according to Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) hyperactivity subscale scores, were compared across children aged 2–5 from a large case-control study with ASD (n = 548), TD (n = 423), and DD (n = 180). Inattention and hyperactivity items within this subscale were also explored. Within the ASD group, linear and logistic regression were used to examine how ADHD symptoms were associated with cognition as assessed by the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and adaptive functioning as assessed by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales.ResultsMean hyperactivity subscale scores were lowest in children with TD (mean = 3.19), higher in children with DD (12.3), and highest in children with ASD (18.2; between-group p < 0.001). Among children with ASD, significant associations were observed with higher ADHD symptoms and poorer adaptive and cognitive functioning (adjusted beta for hyperactivity score in association with: Vineland composite = −5.63, p = 0.0005; Mullen visual reception scale = −2.94, p = 0.02; for the highest vs. lowest quartile of hyperactivity score, odds of lowest quintile of these scores was approximately doubled). Exploratory analyses highlighted associations with inattention-related items specifically.ConclusionThese results suggest ADHD symptoms may play a key role in the functioning of young children with ASD.     

Role of hedgehog protein family members in autistic children

BackgroundThe neurological basis for autism is still not fully understood, and the role of the interaction between hedgehog (hh) protein family members, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Indian (Ihh), and Desert (Dhh) biological activities have not been previously undertaken in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).MethodsSerum levels of Shh, Ihh and Dhh were determined in the plasma of 57 Saudi patients, categorized as mild-moderate and severe as indicated by their Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and compared to 27 age- and gender-matched control samples.ResultsThe data indicated that autistic children had higher serum levels of Shh (P = 0.001), Ihh (P = 0.001) and lower level of Dhh (P = 0.003) than those of normal controls. Moreover, serum levels of Shh had significant positive correlations with Dhh (P < 0.002).ConclusionsThis study suggests that higher levels of Shh, Ihh and lower Dhh levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism.     

Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism and hyperactivity symptoms in Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in the catabolism of brain dopamine and norepinephrine, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as in other neuropsychatric disorders. We aimed to investigate the association of COMT Val158Met gene polymorphism with ASD and to examine the influence of such genotypes on hyperactivity symptoms in ASD patients. Eighty ASD patients (mean age 9 ± 1.9 years) and 100 control children (mean age 8.9 ± 1.9 years) were examined. COMT Val58Met polymorphism was genotyped using Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR method. The clinical diagnosis of ASD and ADHD were confirmed according to the DSM-IV criteria for research. We found no significant difference in genotypes or alleles’ frequencies of COMT Val158Met polymorphism between ASD patients and control group. There was a significant association between COMT (Val/Val) genotype and both increasing CARS (p = 0.001) and hyperactivity scores (p = 0.006). Regarding Conner's Score, the DSM-IV hyperactive impulsive were significantly higher in Val/Val genotype than both Met/Val and Met/Met genotypes (p = 0.03). Our data suggested an association between COMT Val58Met polymorphism and hyperactivity symptoms in Egyptian children with ASD.     

Alterations in plasma dipeptidyl peptidase IV in autism: A pilot study

Immune factors such as autoimmunity have been implicated in the genesis of autism.This study aimed to investigate the role of dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) IV serum levels, which were measured by ELISA method, in 62 (mean age 7.02 ± 2.03 years) autistic children in comparison to 16 (mean age 7.25 ± 2.14 years) healthy-matched children. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was used for the assessment of autistic severity.The DPP IV level was significantly lower (p = 0.05) in autistic subjects than normal controls, although there were no significant relationships between the plasma DPP IV level and the CARS score, age or gender.Therefore, we concluded that alterations in the plasma level of DPP IV play a role in the pathophysiology of autism. However, this is an initial report that warrants further research to determine the pathogenic role of DPP IV and its possible link to neuroinflammation in autism.     

Health Related Quality of Life in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The clinical and demographic related factors in Turkey

We aimed to investigate the Health Related Quality of Life and related clinical variables (HRQoL) of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We included 102 children with ASD (46 with autism, 38 with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and 18 with Asperger's syndrome (AS)) and 39 typically developing children as a control (TDC), between 3 and 18 years of age. The mothers scored the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQLTM 4.0). The physical health, psychosocial health and total summary score of ASD group were significantly lower than TDC. Within ASD group, psychosocial (p < 0.001), social, school functioning and total summary score (p < 0.001) of the autism group were lower than AS, and PDD-NOS. The scores of AS and PDD-NOS were similar. PedsQL scores differed between the groups who take psychotropic medication and continue to special and formal education in ASD. PedsQL scores were negatively correlated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) score and positively correlated with the age that first signs appeared (p < 0.01). Within ASD group the children with autism had the poorer HRQoL than AS and PDD-NOS. The correlation between HRQoL and CARS scores was moderate. The severity of ASD has negative effects on HRQoL.     

Acute behavioral crises in psychiatric inpatients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Recognition of concomitant medical or non-ASD psychiatric conditions predicts enhanced improvement

During adolescence, some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in severe challenging behaviors, such as aggression, self-injury, disruption, agitation and tantrums. We aimed to assess risk factors associated with very acute behavioral crises in adolescents with ASD admitted to a dedicated neurobehavioral unit. We included retrospectively in 2008 and 2009 29 adolescents and young adults with ASD hospitalized for severe challenging behaviors and proposed a guideline (Perisse et al., 2010) that we applied prospectively for 29 patients recruited for the same indications between 2010 and 2012. In total, 58 patients were admitted (n = 70 hospitalizations, mean age = 15.66 (±4.07) years, 76% male). We systematically collected data describing socio-demographic characteristics, clinical variables (severity, presence of language, cognitive level), comorbid organic conditions, etiologic diagnosis of the episode, and treatments. We explored predictors of Global Assessment Functioning Scale (GAFS) score and duration of hospitalization at discharge. All but 2 patients exhibited severe autistic symptoms and intellectual disability (ID), and two-thirds had no functional verbal language. During the inpatient stay (mean = 84.3 (±94.9) days), patients doubled on average their GAFS scores (mean = 17.66 (±9.05) at admission vs. mean = 31.4 (±9.48) at discharge). Most common etiologies for acute behavioral crises were organic causes [n = 20 (28%), including epilepsy: n = 10 (14%) and painful medical conditions: n = 10 (14%)], environmental causes [n = 17 (25%) including lack of treatment: n = 11 (16%) and adjustment disorder: n = 6 (9%)], and non-ASD psychiatric condition [n = 33 (48%) including catatonia: n = 5 (7%), major depressive episode: n = 6 (9%), bipolar disorder: n = 4 (6%), schizophrenia: n = 6 (9%), other/unknown diagnosis: n = 12 (17%)]. We found no influence of age, gender, socio-economic status, migration, level of ID, or history of seizure on improvement of GAFS score at discharge. Severity of autism at admission was the only negative predictor (p < .001). Painful medical conditions (p = .04), non-ASD psychiatric diagnoses (p = .001), prior usage of specialized ASD care programs (p = .004), functional language (p = .007), as well as a higher number of challenging behaviors upon admission (p = .001) were associated with higher GAFS scores at discharge. Clinical severity at admission, based on the number of challenging behaviors (r = .35, p = .003) and GAFS score (r = −.32, p = .008) was correlated with a longer inpatient stay. Longer hospitalization was however correlated (r = .27, p = .03) with higher GAFS score at discharge even after adjustment for confounding factors. Challenging behaviors among adolescents with ASD may stem from diverse risk factors, including environmental problems, comorbid acute psychiatric conditions, or somatic illness such as epilepsy or acute pain. The management of these behavioral challenges requires a unified, multidisciplinary approach.     

Alzheimer-associated urine neuronal thread protein level increases with age in a healthy Chinese population

Alzheimer-associated neuronal thread protein (AD7c-NTP) has been found to be a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with elevated levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and urine from AD patients in the early stage of the disease. Whether the urine level of AD7c-NTP in healthy people is age-related is still unclear. We aimed to measure the level of urine AD7c-NTP in a healthy Chinese population of different ages. Urine samples of 294 subjects were collected from the Department of Health Examination Center at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, China. The samples were divided into five groups by age: Group 1 (20–29 years), Group 2 (30–39 years), Group 3 (40–49 years), Group 4 (50–59 years) and Group 5 (⩾60 years). The Mini Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment were carried out. The level of AD7c-NTP in the urine specimen was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The urine AD7c-NTP levels in Group 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 0.3012 ± 0.2373, 0.3702 ± 0.2422, 0.3914 ± 0.2442, 0.4844 ± 0.2908 and 0.5880 ± 0.2638 ng/ml (mean ± standard error of the mean), respectively. The urine AD7c-NTP levels among the five groups differed significantly (F = 6.181, p = 0.00). Females had a higher urine AD7c-NTP content than males, and the urine AD7c-NTP level increased with age (r = 0.28, p = 0.00). To our knowledge this study is the first to show that urine AD7c-NTP level increases with age in a healthy Chinese population without cognitive dysfunction. This study suggests that different cut-off values aimed at different age groups should be established for diagnosing cognitive impairments in clinical practice.     

Serum levels of SOD and risk of autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study

BackgroundAutism is a severe developmental disorder with poorly understood etiology. This study examined the clinical significance of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, a marker of oxidative stress, in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically-developing children between the ages of 2 and 6 years.MethodsNinety-six children diagnosed with ASD and 96 sex and age matched typically-developing children were assessed for serum levels of SOD at admission. S0D were assayed by colorimetry, and severity of ASD was evaluated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Score. The influence of serum SOD levels on ASD was performed by conditional logistic regression analysis, which allows adjustment for confounding factors.ResultsThe median serum SOD levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in children with ASD as compared to typically-developing children [146 (IQR: 133–165) U/ml and 180 (168–199) U/ml, respectively]. Levels of SOD increased with decreasing severity of ASD as defined by the CARS score (r = −0.432, P < 0.0001). After adjusting for all other possible covariates, SOD remained can be seen as an independent indictor of ASD with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.955 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.942–0.969; P < 0.001). Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the optimal cutoff value of serum level of SOD as an indicator for auxiliary diagnosis of ASD was projected to be 160U/ml, which yielded a sensitivity of 84.7% and a specificity of 71.4%, with the area under the curve at 0.811 (95%CI, 0.747–0.874).ConclusionsOur data suggests that the decreased serum SOD levels could be implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of autism in Chinese children and can be used as an independent risk indicator of ASD.     

Resilience and spirituality in patients with depression and their family members: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe degree and quality of resilience in patients with depression have never been investigated in the context of remission status, spirituality/religiosity, and family members' resilience levels, which was addressed in this study.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited Japanese outpatients with depressive disorder according to ICD-10 and cohabitant family members who were free from psychiatric diagnoses. Resilience was assessed using the 25-item Resilience Scale (RS). Other assessments included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS); the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT) and Kasen et al.'s (2012) scale for spirituality/religiosity; and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).ResultsOne hundred outpatients with depression (mean ± SD age, 50.8 ± 14.5 years; 44 men; MADRS total score 9.8 ± 9.0) and 36 healthy family members (mean ± SD age, 56.5 ± 15.0 years; 18 men) were included. Symptom severity, attendance at religious/spiritual services, and self-esteem were significantly associated with RS scores in the patient group. RS total scores were significantly higher in remitted patients compared to non-remitted patients (mean ± SD, 112.3 ± 17.1 vs. 84.8 ± 27.7, p < 0.001). No correlation was found in RS total scores between patients and their family members (p = 0.265), regardless of patients' remission status.ConclusionsResilience may be influenced by individual characteristics rather than familial environment; furthermore, self-esteem or spirituality/religiosity may represent reinforcing elements. While caution is necessary in extrapolating these findings to other patient populations, our results suggest that resilience may be considered a state marker in depression.     

Postural sway patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing children

Postural control is a fundamental building block of each child's daily activities. The aim of this study was to compare patterns of postural sway in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with typically developing children (TD). We recruited 21 schoolchildren diagnosed with ASD aged 9–14 and 30 TD pupils aged 8–15. Postural sway parameters in composite, anteroposterior and mediolateral axis were reported. Furthermore we examined the impact of age and characteristics of autism on postural sway. Children with ASD exhibited higher amount of sway in anteroposterior range (p < 0.001), mediolateral range (p = 0.002), root mean square (p = 0.001), mean velocity (p = 0.03), and sway area (p = 0.007) compared with their TD peers. Children with ASD showed higher instability in mediolateral than anteroposterior axis though TD children demonstrated higher sway scores in anteroposterior than mediolateral direction. The rate of autism symptom severity significantly affected the postural sway in children with ASD (p < 0.05). In conclusion, patterns of postural control seem to be different in children with ASD compared with TD counterparts. This could be partially due to clinical features were underlying in ASD.     

Cross sectional area reference values for sonography of peripheral nerves and brachial plexus

ObjectiveUltrasound measurements of the cross sectional area (CSA) variability have been recently introduced to quantify pathological changes in peripheral nerves (PN).MethodsReference values from 75 healthy subjects and their correlation to age, height, weight and sex are reported.ResultsThe mean values in PN were: (1) intranerve CSA-variability: median 1.05 (SD ± 0.13), ulnar 1.53 (SD ± 0.51), fibular 1.33 (SD ± 0.37), tibial 1.39 (SD ± 0.39), (2) internerve CSA-variability 1.76 (SD ± 0.37), (3) intraplexus CSA-variability 1.52 (SD ± 0.37), (4) side-to-side difference ratio of the CSA-variability: median 1.21 (SD ± 0.04), ulnar 1.2 (SD ± 0.25), fibular 1.19 (SD ± 0.23), tibial 1.28 (SD ± 0.24) and brachial plexus 1.19 (SD ± 0.23). CSA did not correlate with height in PN, but correlated with weight in the ulnar nerve [Guyon’s canal, r = 0.411, p = 0.0237, elbow r = 0.409, p = 0.0248]. Significant changes between sex were found only in the ulnar (Guyon’s canal, p = 0.0265), fibular (popliteal fossa, p = 0.0336) and sural nerve (p = 0.048). CSA decreased with age in the median (axilla, p = 0.0236), and radial nerve (spiral groove, p = 0.0037) and increased in the tibial nerve (ankle, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsThe CSA reference values reported seem to correlate at certain sites with age, weight and sex but not with height.SignificanceThe new CSA variability measures may be helpful in investigating pathologies of the PN.     

Association of schizophrenia spectrum and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children with ASD and clinic controls

ObjectiveThis study examines relations between the severity of specific symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and severity of the three defining symptom domains of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children with ASD (N = 147) and child psychiatry outpatient referrals (Controls; N = 339).MethodParticipants were subdivided into four groups depending on ASD status (±) and whether they met symptom criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (±ADHD). Their mothers and teachers evaluated them with a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale.ResultsCorrelations between schizoid personality symptoms and ASD social skills deficits were moderate to large, and this was true for children with ASD and Controls, regardless of ADHD status, and for mother's and teachers’ ratings. Conversely, severity of hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking were minimally correlated with ASD severity with the exception of Controls with ADHD. The disorganized behavior and negative symptoms of schizophrenia evidenced the strongest pattern of associations with ASD symptoms, and this was particularly true for children with co-morbid ADHD (±ASD, all three ASD symptom dimensions), and for teachers’ ratings of all four groups. Nevertheless, there was considerable variability in relations for specific symptoms across informants and groups. Correlations between SSD symptom severity and IQ were generally low, particularly among the ASD Only group and for all teacher-rated symptoms.ConclusionAssociations between ASD and SSD symptoms were often dimension-specific, and this was particularly evident in children without ADHD (±ASD; mothers’ ratings). Findings were interpreted as supporting the deconstruction of complex clinical phenotypes as a means of better understanding interrelations among psychiatric syndromes.     

Metabolic profiles in adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities

IntroductionLow levels of blood cholesterol have been found in some children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Psychotropic medications, commonly used by people with ASD and people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are frequently associated with altered metabolic profiles.PurposeWe aimed to compare metabolic features of adults with ASD or ID with those of a community-based population.Subjects and methodsData on blood fasting glucose (FBG), lipid profile, liver enzyme profile, TSH, BMI, medications and diagnoses of 80 adults with ASD, 77 adults with ID and 828 control adults were drawn from medical charts/database. Candidates that used glucose or lipid lowering medications were not included.ResultsTotal-cholesterol levels of people with ASD and ID were significantly lower than those of the controls (168.3 ± 32.78, 168.2 ± 32.91, 185.4 ± 40.49 mg/dL, respectively, P < 0.001) but after adjusting for gender, age and BMI and using Bonferroni correction, the significance was lost. Compared to controls, ASD and ID had significantly lower FBG (by –14.45 ± 1.81, –14.58 ± 1.54 mg/dl, respectively; P < 0.001 for both) and liver enzymes, despite using psychotropic medications.Discussion and conclusionIn contrast to other psychiatric patients receiving similar medications, people with ASD and ID have unaltered lipid profiles and lower glucose and liver enzyme levels compared to a community-based population.     

Visual tasks and postural sway in children with and without autism spectrum disorders

We investigated the influences of two different suprapostural visual tasks, visual searching and visual inspection, on the postural sway of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sixteen ASD children (age = 8.75 ± 1.34 years; height = 130.34 ± 11.03 cm) were recruited from a local support group. Individuals with an intellectual disability as a co-occurring condition and those with severe behavior problems that required formal intervention were excluded. Twenty-two sex- and age-matched typically developing (TD) children (age = 8.93 ± 1.39 years; height = 133.47 ± 8.21 cm) were recruited from a local public elementary school. Postural sway was recorded using a magnetic tracking system (Flock of Birds, Ascension Technologies, Inc., Burlington, VT). Results indicated that the ASD children exhibited greater sway than the TD children. Despite this difference, both TD and ASD children showed reduced sway during the search task, relative to sway during the inspection task. These findings replicate those of Stoffregen et al. (2000), Stoffregen, Giveans, et al. (2009), Stoffregen, Villard, et al. (2009) and Prado et al. (2007) and extend them to TD children as well as ASD children. Both TD and ASD children were able to functionally modulate postural sway to facilitate the performance of a task that required higher perceptual effort.     

Examining the effectiveness of peer-mediated and video-modeling social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis in single-case research using HLM

Social interaction is a fundamental problem for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Various types of social skills interventions have been developed and used by clinicians to promote the social interaction in children with ASD. This meta-analysis used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine the effectiveness of peer-mediated and video-modeling approaches, the two approaches that are most commonly used for social skills training of children with ASD. The two approaches, with the average effect size of 1.27 (peer-mediated approach: mean = 1.3, 95% CL = 1.10–1.50, N = 9; video-modeling approach: mean = 1.22, 95% CL = 0.65–1.78, N = 5) were found to significantly and equally improve the social performance of children with ASD. In addition, age functioned as a significant moderator in the effectiveness of the intervention. Implications of the results and limitations of this study are discussed.     

Gaze patterns during scene processing in typical adults and adults with autism spectrum disorders

BackgroundLittle is known about how adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) process dynamic social scenes.MethodWe studied gaze behavior in 16 adults with ASD without intellectual impairment and 16 sex- and age-matched controls during passive scene processing.ResultsAdding more characters to a scene resulted in a drop in time spent looking at faces, and an increase in time spent looking at bodies (static trials) or off-person (dynamic trials) [Scene Type × AOI × Mode: F(2, 60) = 3.54, p = .04, η²_p = .11]. Unlike controls, adults with ASD showed only a small drop in the number of fixations made [Mode × Group: F(1, 30) = 11.30, p = .002, η²_p = .27] and no increase in the duration of face fixations [Mode × AOI × Group: F(2, 60) = 3.50, p = .04, η²_p = .11] when dynamic cues were added. Thus, particularly during dynamic trials, adults with ASD spent less time looking at faces and slightly more time looking off-person than did controls [Mode × AOI × Group: F(2, 60) = 3.10 p = .05, η²_p = .09]. Exhibiting more autistic traits and being less empathic were both associated with spending less time fixating on faces [.34 < |r| < .55, p < .05].ConclusionsThese results suggest that adults with ASD may be less sensitive to, or have more difficulty processing, dynamic cues—particularly those conveyed in faces. The findings demonstrate the importance of using dynamic displays in studies involving this clinical population.     

Implicit and explicit motor learning: Application to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Aims and objectivesThis study aims to determine whether children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are capable of learning a motor skill both implicitly and explicitly.MethodsIn the present study, 30 boys with ASD, aged 7–11 with IQ average of 81.2, were compared with 32 typical IQ- and age-matched boys on their performance on a serial reaction time task (SRTT). Children were grouped by ASD and typical children and by implicit and explicit learning groups for the SRTT.ResultsImplicit motor learning occurred in both children with ASD (p = .02) and typical children (p = .01). There were no significant differences between groups (p = .39). However, explicit motor learning was only observed in typical children (p = .01) not children with ASD (p = .40). There was a significant difference between groups for explicit learning (p = .01).DiscussionThe results of our study showed that implicit motor learning is not affected in children with ASD. Implications for implicit and explicit learning are applied to the CO-OP approach of motor learning with children with ASD.     

Unilateral strength training increases voluntary activation of the opposite untrained limb

ObjectiveWe investigated whether an increase in neural drive from the motor cortex contributes to the cross-limb transfer of strength that can occur after unilateral strength training.MethodsTwitch interpolation was performed with transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess changes in strength and cortical voluntary activation in the untrained left wrist, before and after 4 weeks of unilateral strength-training involving maximal voluntary isometric wrist extension contractions (MVCs) for the right wrist (n = 10, control group = 10).ResultsWrist extension MVC force increased in both the trained (31.5 ± 18%, mean ± SD, p < 0.001) and untrained wrist (8.2 ± 9.7%, p = 0.02), whereas wrist abduction MVC did not change significantly. The amplitude of the superimposed twitches evoked during extension MVCs decreased by 35% (±20%, p < 0.01), which contributed to a significant increase in voluntary activation (2.9 ± 3.5%, p < 0.01). Electromyographic responses to cortical and peripheral stimulation were unchanged by training. There were no significant changes for the control group which did not train.ConclusionUnilateral strength training increased the capacity of the motor cortex to drive the homogolous untrained muscles.SignificanceThe data show for the first time that an increase in cortical drive contributes to the contralateral strength training effect.