scholarly journals Mid-gestation cytokine profiles in mothers of children affected by autism spectrum disorder: a case–control study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Carter ◽  
Sophie Casey ◽  
Gerard W. O’Keeffe ◽  
Louise Gibson ◽  
Deirdre M. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Intrauterine Environment ◽  
Cytokine Profiles ◽  
Early Markers ◽  
Ultrasensitive Assay

AbstractAutism Spectrum disorder is one of the commonest and most important neurodevelopmental conditions affecting children today. With an increasing prevalence and an unclear aetiology, it is imperative we find early markers of autism, which may facilitate early identification and intervention. Alterations of gestational cytokine profiles have been reported in mothers of autistic children. Increasing evidence suggests that the intrauterine environment is an important determinant of autism risk. This study aims to examine the mid-gestational serum cytokine profiles of the mothers of autistic children from a well-characterised birth cohort. A nested sub-cohort within a large mother–child birth cohort were identified based on a confirmed multi-disciplinary diagnosis of autism before the age 10 years and neuro-typical matched controls in a 2:1 ratio. IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, GMCSF and TNFα were measured in archived maternal 20-week serum using MesoScale Diagnostics multiplex technology and validation of our IL-17A measurements was performed using an ultrasensitive assay. From a cohort of 2137 children, 25 had confirmed autism before 10 years and stored maternal serum from mid-gestation. We examined the sera of these 25 cases and 50 matched controls. The sex ratio was 4:1 males to females in each group, and the mean age at diagnosis was 5.09 years (SD 2.13). We found that concentrations of IL-4 were significantly altered between groups. The other analytes did not differ significantly using either multiplex or ultra-sensitive assays. In our well-characterised prospective cohort of autistic children, we confirmed mid-gestational alterations in maternal IL-4 concentrations in autism affected pregnancies versus matched controls. These findings add to promising evidence from animal models and retrospective screening programmes and adds to the knowledge in this field.

scholarly journals Mid-Gestation Cytokine Profiles in Mothers of Children Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Case-Control Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Carter ◽  
Sophie Casey ◽  
Gerard O’Keeffe ◽  
Louise Gibson ◽  
Deirdre Murray
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Intrauterine Environment ◽  
Cytokine Profiles ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Ultrasensitive Assay ◽  
Control Study

Abstract Background: Alterations of gestational cytokine profiles have been reported in mothers of autistic children. Increasing evidence suggests that the intrauterine environment is an important determinant of autism risk. This study aims to examine the mid-gestational serum cytokine profiles of the mothers of autistic children from a well-characterised birth cohort.Methods: A nested sub-cohort within a large mother-child birth cohort were identified based on a confirmed multi-disciplinary diagnosis of autism before the age 10 years and neuro-typical matched controls in a 2:1 ratio. IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, GMCSF and TNFα were measured in archived maternal 20-week serum using MesoScale Diagnostics multiplex technology and validation of our IL-17A measurements was performed using an ultrasensitive assay. Results: From a cohort of 2137 children, 25 had confirmed autism before 10 years and maternal serum from mid-gestation. We examined the sera of these 25 cases and 50 matched controls. The sex ratio was 4:1 males to females in each group, and the mean age at diagnosis was 5.09 years (SD 2.13). Concentrations of IL-4 were significantly altered between groups. The other analytes did not differ significantly using either multiplex or ultra-sensitive assays. Conclusions: In a well-characterised prospective cohort of autistic children, and supplementary to promising evidence from animal experiments and retrospective screening programmes, we confirmed mid-gestational alterations in maternal IL-4 cytokine levels in autism affected pregnancies versus matched controls.

Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
And Function

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.

scholarly journals Alterations of the endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic potential in autism spectrum disorder

Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyang Zou ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Shu Xie ◽  
Luxi Wang ◽  
Dexin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Social Preference ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzyme ◽  
Endocannabinoid System ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Novel Approach

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities, the aetiology of which remains elusive. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulates neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity. Evidence points to the involvement of this neuromodulatory system in the pathophysiology of ASD. We investigated whether there is a disruption to the eCB system in ASD and whether pharmacological modulation of the eCB system might offer therapeutic potential. We examined three major components of the eCB system—endogenous cannabinoids, their receptors and associated enzymes—in ASD children as well as in the valproic acid (VPA) induced animal model in autism. Furthermore, we specifically increased 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels by administering JZL184, a selective inhibitor of monoacylglycerol lipase which is the hydrolytic enzyme for 2-AG, to examine ASD-like behaviours in VPA-induced rats. Results showed that autistic children and VPA-induced rats exhibited reduced eCB content, increased degradation of enzymes and upregulation of CBRs. We found that repetitive and stereotypical behaviours, hyperactivity, sociability, social preference and cognitive functioning improved after acute and chronic JZL184 treatment. The major efficacy of JZL184 was observed after administration of a dosage regimen of 3 mg kg −1 , which affected both the eCB system and ASD-like behaviours. In conclusion, a reduced eCB signalling was observed in autistic children and in the ASD animal model, and boosting 2-AG could ameliorate ASD-like phenotypes in animals. Collectively, the results suggested a novel approach to ASD treatment.

scholarly journals Psychological Stress Among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome in the City of Kufra

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Mansour Mohammed Ali Bopaeda
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Children With Down Syndrome ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
The City

Having a baby is a huge responsibility. It often happens that mothers, especially when they are having their first baby, feel stressed and incompetent in their role as mothers even as their children normally grows. The purpose of this article is to identify the general features of psychological stress among mothers of autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome and to identify the differences and relationship in psychological stress between mothers of autism and down syndrome. In this study participated a group of mothers with children who have autism (n = 44) and mothers of children with Down syndrome (n = 44). The findings made proved that the general features of psychological stress are high Among mothers of autistic children, while it was low among mothers of Down syndrome, there were also statistically significant differences in the level of psychological stress between mothers of autism and Down syndrome, and a correlation was found between mothers of autism and Down syndrome at the level of significance (0.01).

Effect of physical therapy on 7- to 10-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder: A retrospective study in a university day hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-404
Author(s):  
Jokthan Guivarch ◽  
Elisabeth Jouve ◽  
Elodie Avenel ◽  
François Poinso ◽  
Laura Conforti-Roussel
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Dance Movement ◽  
Cascading Effect

More than half of children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from motor impairment. In a retrospective study, the authors investigated the effect of a body-mediated workshop with dance movement therapy (DMT) on the motor skills and social skills of children with ASD by comparing 10 autistic children aged 7 to 10 years who benefited from DMT with 10 autistic children in a control group. Scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale were compared. The body-mediated workshop had significant benefits for motricity, especially manual dexterity, and for relational skills. A body-mediated workshop may have a multimodal effect and requires transmodal training. Regarding the mechanisms that explain the benefits and the cascading effect, the roles of imitation and multimodal connections are important.

scholarly journals Early Second Trimester Maternal Serum Steroid-Related Biomarkers Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 4572-4583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Bilder ◽  
M. Sean Esplin ◽  
Hilary Coon ◽  
Paul Burghardt ◽  
Erin A. S. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Second Trimester

Assisted reproductive technology has no association with autism spectrum disorders: The Taiwan Birth Cohort Study

Autism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
For-Wey Lung ◽  
Tung-Liang Chiang ◽  
Shio-Jean Lin ◽  
Meng-Chih Lee ◽  
Bih-Ching Shu
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Assisted Reproduction ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Assisted Reproduction Technology ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

The use of assisted reproduction technology has increased over the last two decades. Autism spectrum disorders and assisted reproduction technology share many risk factors. However, previous studies on the association between autism spectrum disorders and assisted reproduction technology have shown inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between assisted reproduction technology and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in a national birth cohort database. Furthermore, the results from the assisted reproduction technology and autism spectrum disorder propensity score matching exact matched datasets were compared. For this study, the 6- and 66-month Taiwan Birth Cohort Study datasets were used (N = 20,095). In all, 744 families were propensity score matching exact matched and selected as the assisted reproduction technology sample (ratio of assisted reproduction technology to controls: 1:2) and 415 families as the autism spectrum disorder sample (ratio of autism spectrum disorder to controls: 1:4). Using a national birth cohort dataset, controlling for the confounding factors of assisted reproduction technology conception and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, both assisted reproduction technology and autism spectrum disorder propensity score matching matched datasets showed the same results of no association between assisted reproduction technology and autism spectrum disorder. Further study on the detailed information regarding the processes and methods of assisted reproduction technology may provide us with more information on the association between assisted reproduction technology and autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Neonatal Cytokine Profiles Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 442-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Krakowiak ◽  
Paula E. Goines ◽  
Daniel J. Tancredi ◽  
Paul Ashwood ◽  
Robin L. Hansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cytokine Profiles
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