scholarly journals Cariprazine alleviates core behavioral deficits in the prenatal valproic acid exposure model of autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktor Román ◽  
Nika Adham ◽  
Andrew G. Foley ◽  
Lynsey Hanratty ◽  
Bence Farkas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Exposure Model ◽  
Behavioral Deficits

Abstract Rationale Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The unmet medical need in ASD is considerable since there is no approved pharmacotherapy for the treatment of these deficits in social communication, interaction, and behavior. Cariprazine, a dopamine D3-preferring D3/D2 receptor partial agonist, is already approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder in adults; investigation in patients with ASD is warranted. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cariprazine, compared with risperidone and aripiprazole, in the rat prenatal valporic acid (VPA) exposure model on behavioral endpoints representing the core and associated symptoms of ASD. Methods To induce the ASD model, time-mated Wistar rat dams were treated with VPA during pregnancy. Male offspring were assigned to groups and studied in a behavioral test battery at different ages, employing social play, open field, social approach-avoidance, and social recognition memory tests. Animals were dosed orally, once a day for 8 days, with test compounds (cariprazine, risperidone, aripiprazole) or vehicle before behavioral assessment. Results Cariprazine showed dose-dependent efficacy on all behavioral endpoints. In the social play paradigm, only cariprazine was effective. On the remaining behavioral endpoints, including the reversal of hyperactivity, risperidone and aripiprazole displayed similar efficacy to cariprazine. Conclusions In the present study, cariprazine effectively reversed core behavioral deficits and hyperactivity present in juvenile and young adult autistic-like rats. These findings indicate that cariprazine may be useful in the treatment of ASD symptoms.

Emotion Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
pp. 282-298
Author(s):  
Emily Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by deficits in social communication and interaction, and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Although current diagnostic conceptualizations of ASD do not include emotional difficulties as core deficits, the disorder is associated with emotion dysregulation across the lifespan, with considerable implications for long-term psychological, social, and educational outcomes. The overarching goal of this chapter is to integrate existing knowledge of emotion dysregulation in ASD and identify areas for further investigation. The chapter reviews the prevalence and expressions of emotion dysregulation in ASD, discusses emerging theoretical models that frame emotion dysregulation as an inherent (rather than associated) feature of ASD, presents neurobiological findings and mechanisms related to emotion dysregulation in ASD, and identifies continuing controversies and resulting research priorities.

RELATIONSHIP AMONG SENSORY ISSUES AND REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

2020 ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
OJS Admin
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Communication Impairments ◽  
Autism Disorder

Sensory issues and Repetitive Behaviors are the key features of Autism Disorder Syndrome (ASD). This is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by social communication impairments and the occurrence ofrestricted and repeated behavioral habits and desires, including irregular responses to sensory stimuli.

Co-occurrence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 332-351
Author(s):  
Saashi A. Bedford ◽  
Michelle Hunsche ◽  
Connor M. Kerns
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Communication Deficits

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and, similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), restricted and repetitive behaviors. The restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests that are characteristic of ASD often resemble the obsessions and compulsions of OCD, which can make it difficult to distinguish or differentiate the two conditions. A common challenge in diagnosing comorbid ASD and OCD is the apparent overlap in symptoms between the two disorders. This chapter discusses the differentiation between OCD and ASD, the assessment and diagnosis of OCD within the context of ASD, and the treatment of this presentation of OCD.

scholarly journals Transcriptional subtyping explains phenotypic variability in genetic subtypes of autism spectrum disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1353-1361
Author(s):  
Sandy Trinh ◽  
Anne Arnett ◽  
Evangeline Kurtz-Nelson ◽  
Jennifer Beighley ◽  
Marta Picoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Phenotypic Heterogeneity ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Genetic Subtypes

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors, and interests. However, individuals with ASD vary significantly in their challenges and abilities in these and other developmental domains. Gene discovery in ASD has accelerated in the past decade, and genetic subtyping has yielded preliminary evidence of utility in parsing phenotypic heterogeneity through genomic subtypes. Recent advances in transcriptomics have provided additional dimensions with which to refine genetic subtyping efforts. In the current study, we investigate phenotypic differences among transcriptional subtypes defined by neurobiological spatiotemporal co-expression patterns. Of the four transcriptional subtypes examined, participants with mutations to genes typically expressed highly in all brain regions prenatally, and those with differential postnatal cerebellar expression relative to other brain regions, showed lower cognitive and adaptive skills, higher severity of social communication deficits, and later acquisition of speech and motor milestones, compared to those with mutations to genes highly expressed during the postnatal period across brain regions. These findings suggest higher-order characterization of genetic subtypes based on neurobiological expression patterns may be a promising approach to parsing phenotypic heterogeneity among those with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

scholarly journals Nutrition and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Between False Myths and Real Research-Based Opportunities

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2068
Author(s):  
Antonio Narzisi ◽  
Gabriele Masi ◽  
Enzo Grossi
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Restricted Interests

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a multicomplex disorder characterized by an umbrella of specific issues in the areas of social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors [...]

scholarly journals Familiality of behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Schmitt ◽  
Erin Bojanek ◽  
Stormi P. White ◽  
Michael E. Ragozzino ◽  
Edwin H. Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Behavioral Flexibility ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder

Abstract Background Diminished cognitive control, including reduced behavioral flexibility and behavioral response inhibition, has been repeatedly documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated behavioral flexibility and response inhibition in probands and their parents using a family trio design to determine the extent to which these cognitive control impairments represent familial traits associated with ASD. Methods We examined 66 individuals with ASD (probands), 135 unaffected biological parents, and 76 typically developing controls. Participants completed a probabilistic reversal learning task (PRL) and a stop-signal task (SST) to assess behavioral flexibility and response inhibition respectively. Rates of PRL and SST errors were examined across groups, within families, and in relation to clinical and subclinical traits of ASD. Based on prior findings that subclinical broader autism phenotypic (BAP) traits may co-segregate within families and reflect heritable risk factors, we also examined whether cognitive control deficits were more prominent in families in which parents showed BAP features (BAP+). Results Probands and parents each showed increased rates of PRL and SST errors relative to controls. Error rates across tasks were not related. SST error rates inter-correlated among probands and their parents. PRL errors were more severe in BAP+ parents and their children relative to BAP− parents and their children. For probands of BAP+ parents, PRL and SST error rates were associated with more severe social-communication abnormalities and repetitive behaviors, respectively. Conclusion Reduced behavioral flexibility and response inhibition are present among probands and their unaffected parents, but represent unique familial deficits associated with ASD that track with separate clinical issues. Specifically, behavioral response inhibition impairments are familial in ASD and manifest independently from parental subclinical features. In contrast, behavioral flexibility deficits are selectively present in families with BAP characteristics, suggesting they co-segregate in families with parental subclinical social, communication, and rigid personality traits. Together, these findings provide evidence that behavioral flexibility and response inhibition impairments track differentially with ASD risk mechanisms and related behavioral traits.

scholarly journals Individuals with autism have no detectable deficit in neural markers of prediction error when presented with auditory rhythms of varied temporal complexity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J. Knight ◽  
Leona A. Oakes ◽  
Susan L. Hyman ◽  
Edward G. Freedman ◽  
John J. Foxe
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Prediction Error ◽  
Repetitive Behavior ◽  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Brain Wave ◽  
Temporal Complexity

ABSTRACTThe brain’s ability to encode temporal patterns and predict upcoming events is critical for speech perception and other aspects of social communication. Deficits in predictive coding may contribute to difficulties with social communication and overreliance on repetitive predictable environments in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using a mismatch negativity (MMN) task involving rhythmic tone sequences of varying complexity, we tested the hypotheses that 1) individuals with ASD have reduced MMN response to auditory stimuli that deviate in presentation timing from expected patterns, particularly as pattern complexity increases and 2) amplitude of MMN signal is inversely correlated with level of impairment in social communication and repetitive behaviors. Electroencephalography was acquired as individuals (age 6-21years) listened to repeated five-rhythm tones that varied in the Shannon entropy of the rhythm across three conditions (zero, medium-1 bit) and high-2 bit entropy). The majority of the tones conformed to the established rhythm (standard tones); occasionally the 4th tone was temporally shifted relative to its expected time of occurrence (deviant tones). Social communication and repetitive behaviors were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. Both neurotypical controls (n=19) and individuals with ASD (n=21) show stepwise decreases in MMN as a function of increasing entropy. Contrary to the result forecasted by a predictive coding hypothesis, individuals with ASD do not differ from controls in these neural mechanisms of prediction error to auditory rhythms of varied temporal complexity, and there is no relationship between these signals and social communication or repetitive behavior measures.Lay SummaryWe tested the idea that the brain’s ability to use previous experience to influence processing of sounds is weaker in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in neurotypical individuals. We found no difference between individuals with ASD and neurotypical controls in brain wave responses to sounds that occurred earlier than expected in either simple or complex rhythms. There was also no relationship between these brain waves and social communication or repetitive behavior scores.

scholarly journals The Alert Collector: Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Guide to the Latest Resources

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Michele Frasier-Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Statistical Manual ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Dsm 5

Since the early 1990s there has been a steady escalation in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—today it is considered the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. In 2010, it was estimated that 1 in 68 children were affected by autism spectrum disorder. This is an increase of approximately 120 percent from the data collected ten years earlier. Identifying it as one of six neurodevelopmental disorders, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) describes autism spectrum disorder as “a series of developmental disabilities characterized by impaired social communication and interaction skills, accompanied by the existence of repetitive behaviors or activities, such as rocking movements, hand clapping or obsessively arranging personal belongings.”

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