Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, pervasive neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social impairments and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Furthermore, frequently co-occurring physical and mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and epilepsy, contribute to the substantial burden on affected individuals, their family, and society. Consequently, the cost of ASD to society is greater than that of cancer, stroke, and heart disease combined. The cause of ASD is poorly understood, and there are currently no effective pharmacological treatments for its core symptoms. However, significant progress has been made in elucidating the molecular, genetic, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical associates of ASD, potentially paving the way for new treatment approaches.

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Low-Dose Fluoxetine in Four Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Improves Self-Injurious Behavior, ADHD-Like Symptoms, and Irritability

Case Reports in Psychiatry ◽

10.1155/2018/6278501 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Juan Pablo Lucchelli ◽

Gilles Bertschy

Keyword(s):

Autistic Spectrum Disorder ◽

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽

Case Reports ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Pharmacological Treatments ◽

Restricted Interests ◽

The Subject ◽

Core Symptoms

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined by the copresence of two core symptoms: alteration in social communication and repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests. In ASD children and adults, irritability, self-injurious behavior (SIB), and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders- (ADHD-) like symptoms are regularly observed. In these situations, pharmacological treatments are sometimes used. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors- (SSRI-) based treatments have been the subject of several publications: case reports and controlled studies, both of which demonstrate efficacy on the symptoms mentioned above, even if no consensus has been reached concerning their usage. In this article four clinical cases of children diagnosed with ASD and who also present ADHD-like symptoms and/or SIB and/or other heteroaggressive behaviors or irritability and impulsivity treated with low doses of fluoxetine are presented.

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Biological implications of genetic variations in autism spectrum disorders from genomics studies

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20210593 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yue Zhang ◽

Xuanshi Liu ◽

Ruolan Guo ◽

Wenjian Xu ◽

Qi Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Genetic Diagnosis ◽

Gene Mutations ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Restricted Interests ◽

Coding Regions ◽

Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical social interaction and communication together with repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. The prevalence of ASD has been increased these years. Compelling evidence has shown that genetic factors contribute largely to the development of ASD. However, knowledge about its genetic etiology and pathogenesis is limited. Broad applications of genomics studies have revealed the importance of gene mutations at protein-coding regions as well as the interrupted non-coding regions in the development of ASD. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for the known molecular genetic basis and possible pathological mechanisms as well as the risk genes and loci of ASD. Functional studies for the underlying mechanisms are also implicated. The understanding of the genetics and genomics of ASD is important for the genetic diagnosis and intervention for this condition.

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Sexuality in autism: hypersexual and paraphilic behavior in women and men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience ◽

10.31887/dcns.2017.19.4/dschoettle ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 381-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behaviors ◽

High Functioning Autism ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

High Functioning ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

And Behaviors ◽

Core Symptoms

Like nonaffected adults, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) show the entire range of sexual behaviors. However, due to the core symptoms of the disorder spectrum, including deficits in social skills, sensory hypo- and hypersensitivities, and repetitive behaviors, some ASD individuals might develop quantitatively above-average or nonnormative sexual behaviors and interests. After reviewing the relevant literature on sexuality in high-functioning ASD individuals, we present novel findings on the frequency of normal sexual behaviors and those about the assessment of hypersexual and paraphilic fantasies and behaviors in ASD individuals from our own study. Individuals with ASD seem to have more hypersexual and paraphilic fantasies and behaviors than general-population studies suggest. However, this inconsistency is mainly driven by the observations for male participants with ASD. This could be due to the fact that women with ASD are usually more socially adapted and show less ASD symptomatology. The peculiarities in sexual behaviors in ASD patients should be considered both for sexual education and in therapeutic approaches.

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Autism Spectrum Disorders

Neurobiology of Mental Illness ◽

10.1093/med/9780199934959.003.0077 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 1022-1033

Author(s):

Alexander Kolevzon ◽

A. Ting Wang ◽

David Grodberg ◽

Joseph D. Buxbaum

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Model Systems ◽

Novel Treatments ◽

Symptom Domains ◽

Disease Modifying ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Core Symptoms

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) manifest with deficits in social communication, together with the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests.Behavioral interventions are important first-line treatments in ASD and there is a need for pharmacological treatments that target core symptoms of ASD. Neuroimaging studies implicate specific brain regions and networks in ASD, and there has beensignificant progress in identifying etiological genetic loci for ASD. Gene discovery, coupled with the development of animal model systems, have elucidated the neurobiology of several monogenic forms of ASD. These discoveries have in turn led to important opportunities for developing novel treatments and several clinical trials are underway with potentially disease-modifying medications that target core symptom domains. Although the state of the evidence is preliminary, these studies are the basis for enormous optimism in ASD and underscore how neurobiological approaches are likely to lead to novel therapeutics in ASD.

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Stimulus-Stimulus-Pairing to Reduce Stereotypes in Three Children with Autism during Movie Watching

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs11120165 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 165

Author(s):

Marco Esposito ◽

Maria Teresa Dipierro ◽

Federica Mondani ◽

Giulia Iurato ◽

Paolo Mirizzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Restricted Interests ◽

Stimulus Pairing ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Core Symptoms

Autism spectrum disorders represent a challenge for professionals, who must include in their individualized educational interventions goals for core symptoms (social–communication and stereotypies/restricted interests) and comorbidities. The narrowness of interests and the high frequency of repetitive behaviors in children with autism often constitute an obstacle for learning and the quality of life, and for their caregivers as well. In the scientific literature, behavioral interventions based on both aversive and, less commonly, positive procedures have been implemented to reduce the frequency of stereotypies. The following study was carried out with the intention of replicating a Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing procedure applied by Nuzzolo-Gomez, Leonard, Ortiz, Rivera and Greer (2002) in order to reduce stereotypies in children. This procedure was applied to three children diagnosed with autism aged five, almost six and seven years, in order to reduce stereotypies when children watched movies. An A-B-A experimental design with three subjects was used for this research. The results showed a decrease in stereotypies in favor of appropriate behaviors.

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Disorder-specific alterations of tactile sensitivity in neurodevelopmental disorders

10.31234/osf.io/ay73t ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jason He ◽

Ericka Wodka ◽

Mark Tommerdahl ◽

Richard Edden ◽

Mark Mikkelsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

The Core ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Tactile Detection ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sensory Processes ◽

Core Symptoms

Alterations of tactile processing have long been identified in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the extent to which these alterations are disorder-specific, rather than disorder-general, and how they relate to the core symptoms of each disorder, remains unclear. We measured and compared tactile detection, discrimination and order judgment thresholds between a large sample of children with ASD, ADHD, ASD + ADHD combined and typically developing controls. The pattern of results suggested that while difficulties with tactile detection and order judgement were more common in children with ADHD, difficulties with tactile discrimination were more common in children with ASD. Strikingly, subsequent correlation analyses found that the disorder-specific alterations suggested by the group comparisons were also exclusively related to the core symptoms of each respective disorder. These results suggest that disorder-specific alterations of lower-level sensory processes exist and are specifically related to higher-level clinical symptoms of each disorder.

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