Search

Previous research suggest that autistic children look less at faces than neurotypically developing children, but this finding is based predominantly on screen-based eye tracking studies, with unfamiliar faces used as stimuli. The aim of the current study was to assess 10-month-olds' gaze to faces in a more naturalistic context - during free play with a parent - in relation to later autism diagnosis. Parents were asked to play with their infant 'as they usually would' with a set of toys on the floor. During the first 5 min of play, infant gaze to parent's face was video coded. Infants at elevated likelihood of autism (N = 18 with later diagnosis; 46 without later diagnosis), regardless of later diagnostic status, produced fewer gaze shifts towards their parents' faces than infants at low likelihood of autism (N = 18). Infants in all groups spent only ∼3 % of their time looking at parents' faces, and there was no group difference in terms of the proportion of time spent looking at faces. There was neither a correlation between infant face looking and scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2, nor between infant face looking and autistic traits in the parent. During toy play, all infants – irrespective of later diagnosis – spent very little time looking at parents' faces. Infants at elevated likelihood of autism made fewer gazes to their parents' faces than neurotypically developing infants, which could potentially affect opportunities for social learning. The effect was not specifically linked to later autism diagnosis. • Infants with a family history of autism looked less often at their parents' faces. • No difference between infants with familial autism with and without later diagnosis. • No relationship with autism traits in parent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a paucity regarding interventions in general, and especially internet-delivered treatment options, for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), despite the group´s capacity and willingness to utilize computer-mediated communication. This open feasibility study evaluated the new internet-delivered, psychoeducational intervention, SCOPE (Spectrum COmputerized PsychoEducation), for adolescents and young adults aged 16–25 years with ASD in the normative IQ range. Method The participation in SCOPE was facilitated by weekly contacts with disability service professionals (trained coaches) and the intervention consisted of eight ASD-themed modules. In an open feasibility study we evaluated treatment completion, treatment credibility and satisfaction, as well as preliminary efficacy. We assessed feasibility in an outpatient disability services context, regarding both participants’ and coaches’ experiences. Results Twenty-three out of the 29 included participants (79%) completed the intervention. The participants’ experience of treatment credibility was increased during the SCOPE web course and the overall satisfaction with the treatment was high. The coaches reported high treatment credibility and good clinical feasibility of the internet-based delivered intervention. The participants’ knowledge of ASD increased significantly from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The increased knowledge of ASD was not associated with negative effects on psychological well-being. Conclusions Our results suggest that the internet-delivered psychoeducational intervention SCOPE is a feasible intervention and could contribute to youth’s sense of empowerment through increased knowledge of ASD and themselves. An ongoing randomized controlled study will generate further evidence concerning the SCOPE intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired facial affect recognition (FAR) is observed in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has been linked to amygdala and fusiform gyrus dysfunction. ASD patient's impairments seem to be more pronounced during implicit rather than explicit FAR, whereas for schizophrenia data are inconsistent. However, there are no studies comparing both patient groups in an identical design. The aim of this three-group study was to identify (i) whether FAR alterations are equally present in both groups, (ii) whether they are present rather during implicit or explicit FAR, (iii) and whether they are conveyed by similar or disorder-specific neural mechanisms. Using fMRI, we investigated neural activation during explicit and implicit negative and neutral FAR in 33 young-adult individuals with ASD, 20 subjects with paranoid-schizophrenia and 25 IQ- and gender-matched controls individuals. Differences in activation patterns between each clinical group and controls, respectively were found exclusively for implicit FAR in amygdala and fusiform gyrus. In addition, the ASD group additionally showed reduced activations in medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), bilateral dorso-lateral PFC, ventro-lateral PFC, posterior-superior temporal sulcus and left temporo-parietal junction. Although subjects with ASD showed more widespread altered activation patterns, a direct comparison between both patient groups did not show disorder-specific deficits in neither patient group. In summary, our findings are consistent with a common neural deficit during implicit negative facial affect recognition in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is yet unknown whether individuals with and without savant abilities being affected by the same mental disorder display differences with regard to their intelligence profile. To examine this issue, we compared the test performance of 33 savant and 26 nonsavant autistic subjects using the Wechsler Intelligence Scales-Revised for children or adults (WISC-R/WAIS-R). Data analysis revealed inconsistent results with rather negligible differences concerning the compound of cognitive capacities. However, savant and nonsavant individuals with autism exhibited a significant mean difference on the subscale Digit Span. This finding may indicate less impaired working memory and executive function in autistic savants or rote memory and low-level processing being core savant skills. Several limitations of the study are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In typical infant development, parents and their children jointly contribute to establishing frequent episodes of joint attention that boost language acquisition and shape social cognition. Here we used novel live eye-tracking technology to evaluate the degree to which autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to reduced responding to others' joint attention bids in infancy (RJA) and to a reduced tendency to initiate joint attention episodes (IJA). Because young infants use their gaze for both RJA and IJA, this approach allowed us to quantify these elusive processes early in life. The final sample consisted of 112 infants (54 boys and 58 girls), of whom 81 were at familial risk for ASD and 31 were typically developing low-risk infants. At follow-up (36 months of age), 22 children in the high-risk group were diagnosed with ASD. At 10 months of age, rates of IJA were lower in infants later diagnosed with ASD than in the comparison groups (effect sizes d = 0.78–0.95) and followed an atypical developmental trajectory from 10 to 18 months (p <.002). RJA distinguished infants based on familial ASD risk, albeit not ASD diagnosis. The differences in IJA could not be explained by overall looking time, social preference, eye movement latencies, or number of fixations. This live eye-tracking study suggests that during an important period for the development of social cognition (10–18 months of age), infants later diagnosed with ASD show marked atypicalities in IJA but not in RJA. The results indicate that IJA is an important target for future prodromal intervention trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altered resting-state functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) is characteristic of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Standard analytical pipelines for resting-state functional connectivity focus on linear correlations in activation time courses between neural networks or regions of interest. These features may be insensitive to temporally lagged or nonlinear relationships. In a twin cohort study comprising 292 children, including 52 with a diagnosis of ASD and 70 with a diagnosis of ADHD, we applied nonlinear analytical methods to characterize periodic dynamics in the DMN. Using recurrence quantification analysis and related methods, we measured the prevalence, duration, and complexity of periodic processes within and between DMN regions of interest. We constructed generalized estimating equations to compare these features between neurotypical children and children with ASD and/or ADHD while controlling for familial relationships, and we leveraged machine learning algorithms to construct models predictive of ASD or ADHD diagnosis. In within-pair analyses of twins with discordant ASD diagnoses, we found that DMN signal dynamics were significantly different in dizygotic twins but not in monozygotic twins. Considering our full sample, we found that these patterns allowed a robust predictive classification of both ASD (81.0% accuracy; area under the curve = 0.85) and ADHD (82% accuracy; area under the curve = 0.87) cases. These findings indicate that synchronized periodicity among regions comprising the DMN relates both to neurotypical function and to ASD and/or ADHD, and they suggest generally that a dynamical analysis of network interconnectivity may be a useful methodology for future neuroimaging studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodivergent individuals, including a range of conditions impacting neurological function, are at an increased likelihood of poor life outcomes, such as in functional adaptation, mental health, and well-being. Yet, many live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Resilience may provide some explanation for the heterogeneity in outcomes observed in neurodivergent populations. We conducted a scoping review embedded in a neurodiversity-affirmative approach to provide an understanding of resilience in neurodivergent populations. A total of 176 articles were included in this review and were synthesized using a two-phased process. First, findings were synthesized narratively to examine how resilience has been conceptualized and explored in neurodivergent populations. Second, to identify the bio-psycho-social factors important for resilience in neurodivergent individuals, we converted concepts identified in articles to the nomenclature of the World Health Organizations' International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) using a standardized linking process. We find considerable variability in how resilience is conceptualized and measured in neurodivergent populations. We identified 83 unique ICF categories representing resilience factors, of which only 20 appeared in more than 5% of the articles. Identified ICF categories highlight the importance of support systems such as families and friends, community participation and acceptance, and individual capabilities for resilience. • We examined resilience in neurodivergent populations using WHO ICF framework. • There is considerable variability in the definition and measurement of resilience • We identify bio-psycho-social factors important for resilience in neurodivergent populations. • Environmental factors were commonly identified as important for resilience (35%) • Future work on resilience should be co-produced with neurodivergent individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While behavioural difficulties in facial emotion recognition (FER) have been observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioural studies alone are not suited to elucidate the specific nature of FER challenges in ASD. Eye tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG) provide insights in to the attentional and neurological correlates of performance, and may therefore provide insight in to the mechanisms underpinning FER in ASD. Given that these processes develop over the course of the developmental trajectory, there is a need to synthesise findings in regard to the developmental stages to determine how the maturation of these systems may impact FER in ASD. We conducted a systematic review of fifty-four studies investigating ET or EEG meeting inclusion criteria. Findings indicate divergence of visual processing pathways in individuals with ASD. Altered function of the social brain in ASD impacts the processing of facial emotion across the developmental trajectory, resulting in observable differences in ET and EEG outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the first half year of life of individuals later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). There is even a complete lack of observations on the first 6 months of life of individuals with transient autistic behaviours who improved in their socio-communicative functions in the pre-school age.Aim: To compare early development of individuals with transient autistic behaviours and those later diagnosed with ASD.Study Design: Exploratory study; retrospective home video analysis.Subjects: 18 males, videoed between birth and the age of 6 months (ten individuals later diagnosed with ASD; eight individuals who lost their autistic behaviours after the age of 3 and achieved age-adequate communicative abilities, albeit often accompanied by tics and attention deficit).Method: The detailed video analysis focused on general movements (GMs), the concurrent motor repertoire, eye contact, responsive smiling, and pre-speech vocalisations.Results: Abnormal GMs were observed more frequently in infants later diagnosed with ASD, whereas all but one infant with transient autistic behaviours had normal GMs (p<0.05). Eye contact and responsive smiling were inconspicuous for all individuals. Cooing was not observable in six individuals across both groups.Conclusions: GMs might be one of the markers which could assist the earlier identification of ASD. We recommend implementing the GM assessment in prospective studies on ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share deficits in emotion processing. In order to identify convergent and divergent mechanisms, we investigated facial emotion recognition in SZ, high-functioning ASD (HFASD), and typically developed controls (TD). Different degrees of task difficulty and emotion complexity (face, eyes; basic emotions, complex emotions) were used. Two Benton tests were implemented in order to elicit potentially confounding visuo-perceptual functioning and facial processing. Nineteen participants with paranoid SZ, 22 with HFASD and 20 TD were included, aged between 14 and 33 years. Individuals with SZ were comparable to TD in all obtained emotion recognition measures, but showed reduced basic visuo-perceptual abilities. The HFASD group was impaired in the recognition of basic and complex emotions compared to both, SZ and TD. When facial identity recognition was adjusted for, group differences remained for the recognition of complex emotions only. Our results suggest that there is a SZ subgroup with predominantly paranoid symptoms that does not show problems in face processing and emotion recognition, but visuo-perceptual impairments. They also confirm the notion of a general facial and emotion recognition deficit in HFASD. No shared emotion recognition deficit was found for paranoid SZ and HFASD, emphasizing the differential cognitive underpinnings of both disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently co-occurring conditions. Carefully diagnosing ASD in individuals with ID would allow for more tailored clinical interventions that would improve mental health and quality of life. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in a clinical sample of 79 adults with ID who were suspected of also having ASD. In the testable cases (68%), the ADOS was over-inclusive (specificity 45%) but highly sensitive (100%) of ASD. In the ADI-R, the feasibility was 37%, with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 80%. Previously proposed adaptations of the ADOS algorithm were evaluated, and new items and tasks were suggested. The ADOS and the ADI-R were found to be valuable diagnostic tools for adults with ID. Adjustments of the setting and the tasks may further improve their feasibility and specificity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate intact or superior local processing of visual-spatial tasks. We investigated the hypothesis that in a disembedding task, autistic individuals exhibit a more local processing style than controls, which is reflected by altered electromagnetic brain activity in response to embedded stimuli and enhanced activity of early visual areas. Ten autistic and ten matched control participants underwent 151-channel whole-head magnetoencephalography. Participants were presented with 400 embedded or isolated letters (‘S’ or ‘H’) and asked to indicate which of the two letters was shown. Performance was equal in both groups, but event-related magnetic fields differed between groups in an early (100–150ms) and a later (350–400ms) time window. In the early time window, autistic individuals differed from control participants in the embedded, but not in the isolated condition, reflecting reduced processing of the irrelevant context in autistic individuals. In the later time window, amplitude differences between the embedded and isolated conditions were measured in control participants only, suggesting that “disembedding” processes were not required in autistic individuals. Source localisation indicated that activity in individuals with ASD peaked in the primary visual cortex in both conditions and time windows indicating an effortless (automatic, bottom-up) local process, whereas activity in controls peaked outside the visual cortex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: About 10% of autistic individuals exhibit some form of islets of abilities in the face of serious intellectual or mental disability (“savant syndrome”). The aim of this study was to investigate brain mechanisms in a sample of autistic subjects with outstanding memory. We investigated seven mnemonist savants with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and seven matched controls with 151-channel whole-head magnetencephalography in a continuous old–new paradigm. They were presented with 300 pseudowords and 300 shapes and had to indicate by button press, whether the presented stimulus had been shown before. Unexpectedly, mnemonist savants did not perform better than controls, but were outperformed in the recognition of pseudowords. Accordingly, event-related magnetic fields elicited by pseudowords showed widespread old–new effects in controls, but not in savants. A source analysis of its early components revealed right occipital activation in savants, but left parietal activation in controls. This might be related to a visual processing style in mnemonist savants that proved to be inefficient in this task. During the possibly familiarity-based recognition of shapes, there were earlier and more widespread bilateral old–new effects in mnemonist savants, what might reflect their experience with figural material. In a neuropsychological test battery, mnemonist savants performed comparably to autistic people without special memory skills. However, a different factor structure of these tests pointed to a different organization of memory in mnemonist savants compared to controls that is characterized by its relative independence of general intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]