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Introduction: We investigated the prosodic perception of uncertainty cues in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical adults (NTC). Method: We used articulatory synthetic speech to express uncertainty in a human-machine scenario by varying the three acoustic cues pause, intonation, and hesitation. Twenty-eight adults with ASD and 28 NTC adults rated each answer for uncertainty, naturalness, and comprehensibility. Results: Both groups reliably perceived different levels of uncertainty. Stimuli were rated as less uncertain by the ASD group, but not significantly. Only when we pooled the recipients' ratings for all three cues, did we find a significant group difference. In terms of reaction time, we observed longer reaction times in the ASD group compared to the neurotypical comparison group for the uncertainty level hesitation & strong intonation, but the differences were not significant after Bonferroni correction. Furthermore, our results showed a significant group difference between the correlation of uncertainty and naturalness, i.e. the correlation in the ASD group is significantly lower than in the NTC group. Obtained effect size estimates can inform sample size calculations in future studies for the reliable identification of group differences. Discussion: In future work, we would like to further investigate the interaction of all three cues and uncertainty perception. It would be interesting to further vary the duration of the pause and also to use different types of fillers. From a developmental perspective, uncertainty perception should also be investigated in children and adolescents with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings of genetic overlap between Schizophrenia, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) contributed to a renewed conceptualization of these disorders as laying on a continuum based on aetiological, pathophysiological and neurodevelopmental features. Given that cognitive impairments are core to their pathophysiology, we compared patients with schizophrenia, ADHD, ASD, and controls on ocular-motor and manual-motor tasks, challenging crucial cognitive processes. Group comparisons revealed inhibition deficits common to all disorders, increased intra-subject variability in schizophrenia and, to a lesser extent, ADHD as well as slowed processing in schizophrenia. Patterns of deviancies from controls exhibited strong correlations, along with differences that posited schizophrenia as the most impaired group, followed by ASD and ADHD. While vector correlations point towards a common neurodevelopmental continuum of impairment, vector levels suggest differences in the severity of such impairment. These findings argue towards a dimensional approach to Neurodevelopmental Disorders' pathophysiological mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory features in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have received increasing interest in clinical work and research during the recent years. With the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ), Tavasolli and colleagues have produced a self-rating scale for adults with ASD that measures sensory hyper-sensitivity in different sensory modalities, without also tapping cognitive or motivational aspects that precede or follow autistic sensory experiences. Here, we present the results of a translation of the SPQ to German and its short version as well as their validation in samples of autistic or neuro-typical participants. We, furthermore, present the psychometric properties and validities of Tavasolli's original SPQ-short version as well as an alternative short version based on different psychometric item-selection criteria. We can show here that our alternative SPQ-short version, overlapping with the original short-version in 61% of its items, exhibits superior reliabilities, reasonable concurrent validities with other related measures. It, furthermore, exhibits excellent differentiation between autistic and non-autistic samples, underscoring its utility as a screening instrument in research and a clinical instrument to supplement the ASD diagnostic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by difficulties in social communication, unusually restricted, repetitive behavior and interests, and specific abnormalities in language and perception. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and probably heterogeneous. In a subgroup of patients, toxic environmental exposure might lead to an imbalance between oxidative stress and anti-oxidant systems. Previous serum and postmortem studies measuring levels of glutathione (GSH), the main cellular free radical scavenger in the brain, have supported the hypothesis that this compound might play a role in the pathophysiology of autism. Methods: Using the method of single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we analyzed the GSH signal in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of 24 ASD patients with normal or above average IQs and 18 matched control subjects. We hypothesized that we would find decreased GSH concentrations in both regions. Results: We did not find overall group differences in neurometabolites including GSH, neither in the dorsal ACC (Wilks' lambda test; p = 0.429) nor in the DLPFC (p = 0.288). In the dACC, we found a trend for decreased GSH signals in ASD patients (p = 0.076). Conclusions: We were unable to confirm our working hypothesis regarding decreased GSH concentrations in the ASD group. Further studies combining MRS, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid measurements of GSH metabolism including other regions of interest or even whole brain spectroscopy are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vitamin D has many immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective functions, and previous studies have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and neuropsychiatric disease. The aim of our study was to analyze the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a 1-year cohort of adult inpatients with schizophreniform and autism spectrum syndromes in a naturalistic inpatient setting in Germany. Participants and methods: Our study was comprised of 60 adult schizophreniform and 23 adult high-functioning autism spectrum patients who were hospitalized between January and December of 2015. We compared our findings with a historical German reference cohort of 3,917 adults using Pearson’s two-sided chi-squared test. The laboratory measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2/3 [25(OH)vitamin D] were obtained using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Results: In the schizophreniform group, we found decreased (<20 ng/ml) 25(OH)vitamin D levels in 48/60 (80.0%) of the patients. In the autism spectrum group, decreased levels were detected in 18/23 (78.3%) of the patients. 25(OH)vitamin D deficiencies were found in 57.3% of the historical control group. Particularly, severe deficiencies (<10 ng/ml) occurred much more frequently in the schizophreniform (38.3%) and autism spectrum groups (52.2%), when compared to the control group (16.3%). The recommended 25(OH)vitamin D values of >30 ng/ml were observed in only 5% of the schizophreniform patients, 8.7% of the autism spectrum patients, and 21.9% of the healthy controls. Discussion: We found very high rates of 25(OH)vitamin D deficiencies in both patient groups and have discussed whether our findings might be related to alterations in the immunological mechanisms. Irrespective of the possible pathophysiological links between vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorders, a more frequent measurement of vitamin D levels seems to be justified in these patient groups. Further prospective, controlled, blinded, and randomized research should be conducted to analyze the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation on the improvement of psychiatric symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism is both a popular topic in the mass media and a neglected issue especially in adult psychiatry and psychotherapy. The reason for the latter is that in particular high functioning variants of autism spectrum disorders are frequently overlooked in case diagnosticians and therapists are unfamiliar with the phenotype. In fact high functioning autism often represents a kind of basic disorder based of which secondary depression, anxiety or personality disorder arises. But it is also a relevant differential diagnosis for psychotic disorder or obsessive-compulsive- disorder. The correct diagnosis is not only a prerequisite for the development of an adequate self-concept and understanding of the psychodynamics of the frequent problems, misunderstandings and conflicts but also for a differentiated and causally structured therapy planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie is the property of Hogrefe AG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie is the property of Hogrefe AG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A common neurodevelopmental disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is defined by specific patterns in social perception, social competence, communication, highly circumscribed interests, and a strong subjective need for behavioral routines. Furthermore, distinctive features of visual perception, such as markedly reduced eye contact and a tendency to focus more on small, visual items than on holistic perception, have long been recognized as typical ASD characteristics. Recent debate in the scientific community discusses whether the physiology of low-level visual perception might explain such higher visual abnormalities. While reports of this enhanced, "eaglelike" visual acuity contained methodological errors and could not be substantiated, several authors have reported alterations in even earlier stages of visual processing, such as contrast perception and motion perception at the occipital cortex level. Therefore, in this project, we have investigated the electrophysiology of very early visual processing by analyzing the pattern electroretinogram-based contrast gain, the background noise amplitude, and the psychophysical visual acuities of participants with high-functioning ASD and controls with equal education. Based on earlier findings, we hypothesized that alterations in early vision would be present in ASD participants. This study included 33 individuals with ASD (11 female) and 33 control individuals (12 female). The groups were matched in terms of age, gender, and education level. We found no evidence of altered electrophysiological retinal contrast processing or psychophysical measured visual acuities. There appears to be no evidence for abnormalities in retinal visual processing in ASD patients, at least with respect to contrast detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. Difficulties with respect to pragmatic speech, reading emotional and social cues, differentiating between fact and fiction, and taking into account the influence of context on a statement are commonly described features. However, hitherto established questionnaires did not focus on these symptoms. Methods In this study we present a short (11 questions) questionnaire which focuses on self-rated pragmatic speech abilities, the Freiburg Questionnaire of linguistic pragmatics (FQLP). Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were explored in a sample of 57 patients with Asperger's Syndrome, 66 patients with other psychiatric disorders, and a convenience sample of 56 people. Results Reliability analysis showed a high Cronbach's α. Strong correlations could be demonstrated for the FQLP with the Autism Quotient and the Empathy Quotient. Concerning divergent validity a moderate correlation was found between the FQLP and self-rated symptoms of personality disorders. No significant correlation was found between the FQLP and the vocabulary skills. The receiver operating characteristics curve showed an excellent diagnostic accuracy of the FQLP (.97). Conclusions As the control group consisted of people without mental disorder and patients with different psychiatric disorders, the results indicate that the construct examined by the FQLP is quite specific to the peculiarities of AS. The FQLP is a reliable, brief and valid instrument. First results regarding sensitivity and specificity are highly promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been repeatedly associated with enlargements of head circumference in children with ASD. However, it is unclear if these enlargements persist into adulthood. This is the first study to investigate head circumference in a large sample of adults with ASD. Methods: We apply a fully automated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based measurement approach to compute head circumference by combining 3D and 2D image processing. Head circumference was compared between male adults with ASD (n = 120) and healthy male controls (n = 136), from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database. To explain which brain alterations drive our results, secondary analyses were performed for 10 additional morphological brain metrics. Results: ASD subjects showed an increase in head circumference (p =.0018). In addition, ASD patients had increased ventricular surface area (SA) (p =.0013). Intracranial volume, subarachnoidal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume, and gray matter volume explained 50% of head circumference variance. Using a linear support vector machine, we gained an ASD classification accuracy of 73% (sensitivity 92%, specificity 68%) using head circumference and brain‐morphological metrics as input features. Head circumference, ventricular SA, ventricular CSF volume, and ventricular asymmetry index contributed to 85% of feature weighting relevant for classification. Conclusion: Our results suggest that head circumference increases in males with ASD persist into adulthood. Results may be driven by morphological alterations of ventricular CSF. The presented approach for an automated head circumference measurement allows for the retrospective investigation of large MRI datasets in neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) demonstrated excellent results in its original study, with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 100% (Ritvo et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 41:1076–1089, 2011). As a result, it was included in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (Recommendations | Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE, 2022). The questionnaire includes 80 questions across four subcategories (language, social relatedness, circumscribed interests, sensory motor). So far, the subcategory sensory motor has not been addressed in most available instruments, despite being part of the diagnostic criteria specified in DSM-5 (Falkai et al., in Diagnostisches Und Statistisches Manual Psychischer Störungen DSM-5. Hogrefe, 2015) and ICD-11 (ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, 2022). In our validation study, we tested a translated German version of the questionnaire in 299 individuals (110 persons with ASD according to ICD-10 F84.0, F84.5, 64 persons with an primary mental disorders (PMD), 125 persons with no disorders). To enhance the practical use of the instrument in clinical everyday practice, the questionnaire was completed by the participants without the presence of a clinician—unlike the original study. Psychiatric diagnoses were established following the highest standards, and psychometric properties were calculated using established protocols. The German version of the RADS-R yielded very good results, with a high sensitivity of 92.5% and a high specificity of 93.6%. The area under the curve (AUC = 0.976), indicates a high quality and discriminatory power of RADS-R. Furthermore, the ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal threshold to distinguish between the ASD and non-ASD groups in the German version of the RAADS-R is a score of 81. In comparison to the RADS-R, the co-administered instruments Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and Empathy Quotient (EQ) each showed slightly better specificity but worse sensitivity in this sample.The study included individuals already diagnosed with ASD according to ICD-10 (F84.0, F84.5), with or without an primary mental disorders, preventing us from identifying the influence of comorbidities on the RADS-R results. In addition, a self-report questionnaire has generally only limited objectivity and may allow for false representation of the symptoms. The RADS-R compares well with other questionnaires and can provide valuable additional information. It could turn out to be a helpful diagnostic tool for patients in Germany. We propose naming the German version RADS-R (Ritvo Autism Diagnostic Scale – rRevised) to reflect the change in terminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly being recognized as an important issue in adult psychiatry and psychotherapy. High intelligence indicates overall good brain functioning and might thus present a particularly good opportunity to study possible cerebral correlates of core autistic features in terms of impaired social cognition, communication skills, the need for routines, and circumscribed interests. Anatomical MRI data sets for 30 highly intelligent patients with high-functioning autism and 30 pairwise-matched control subjects were acquired and analyzed with voxel-based morphometry. The gray matter volume of the pairwise-matched patients and the controls did not differ significantly. When correcting for total brain volume influences, the patients with ASD exhibited smaller left superior frontal volumes on a trend level. Heterogeneous volumetric findings in earlier studies might partly be explained by study samples biased by a high inclusion rate of secondary forms of ASD, which often go along with neuronal abnormalities. Including only patients with high IQ scores might have decreased the influence of secondary forms of ASD and might explain the absence of significant volumetric differences between the patients and the controls in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]