scholarly journals A case of catatonia in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic: does autism spectrum matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Dell’Osso ◽  
Giulia Amatori ◽  
Camilla Gesi ◽  
Claudia Carmassi
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Predisposing Factor ◽  
Premorbid Personality ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Prolonged Stress

Abstract Background There is growing concern about the psychopathological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prolonged stress due to the spreading fear of the contagion and to the enforced containment measures are deemed to trigger recurrences of preexisting mental disorders as well as the onset of new ones. From such perspective, clinical cases may be of primary ground to identify individual features and pandemic-related factors predisposing to the development of serious psychiatric symptoms. Case presentation Mr. R. is a 64-year-old, married, unemployed man, whose premorbid personality was characterized by relevant autistic traits. The patient developed catatonia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed at discussing the role of both preexisting and precipitating factors. Conclusions Autism spectrum could represent a predisposing factor for severe psychopathological outcome and catatonia. Furthermore, the present clinical case highlights the role of COVID-19 pandemic in influencing physical and mental health.

scholarly journals Shedding light on autistic traits in struggling learners: A blind spot in medical education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Giroux ◽  
Luce Pélissier-Simard
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Struggling Learners ◽  
Accountability Standards ◽  
Broader Phenotype ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Medical Competence

AbstractSome highly challenging, seemingly “unsolvable” situations that arise in medical education could be the result of autistic traits (AT) in learners. AT exist in physicians and learners, ranging from profiles compatible with DSM-5’s criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to more subtle manifestations of ASD’s “broader phenotype.” Often associated with strengths and talents, AT may nonetheless pose significant challenges for learning, teaching, and practising medicine. Since AT remain widely under-recognized and misunderstood by educators, clinicians, and affected individuals alike, they represent a blind spot in medical education. The use of a “neurodiversity lens” to examine challenging situations may help educators consider different pedagogical approaches to address those potentially stemming from AT.This paper aims to raise awareness and understanding of AT-related difficulties in struggling medical learners. To overcome the blind spot challenge and help develop this “neurodiversity lens,” we explore different angles. Beyond any diagnostic consideration, we offer a series of contextual examples, paralleled with explanatory concepts from the field of ASD. We also underline the role of context on functional impact and describe the often ill-defined pattern of challenges encountered, as well as the fertile grounds for interpersonal misunderstandings and disrespect. We propose historical, cultural, and clinical reasons likely contributing to the blind spot. Mindful of the potential risks of prejudice associated with identifying AT-related difficulties, we underline the necessity and feasibility of conciliating diversity and dignity with accountability standards for medical competence.

scholarly journals Mediating role of abnormal sensory processing in the relationship between autistic traits and internalizing problems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yurika Tsuji ◽  
Satoko Matsumoto ◽  
Aya Saito ◽  
Shu Imaizumi ◽  
Yoko Yamazaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Japanese Female ◽  
The Relationship

Sensory processing abnormalities are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and previous studies have shown a positive correlation between sensory processing and internalizing problems. This study examines the role of sensory processing abnormalities and difficulties resulting from sensory processing abnormalities on relationships between autistic traits and internalizing problems in Japanese female university students. One hundred and twelve female university students completed a questionnaire about their autistic traits, sensory processing, awareness of difficulties resulting from sensory processing abnormalities, and internalizing problems. Analysis of the data reveals that autistic traits correlate with low registration and sensation avoiding. Moreover, those who scored high on these indicators, demonstrated difficulties resulting from sensory processing abnormalities as the cause of internalizing problems.

scholarly journals Is the Pain Just Physical? The Role of Psychological Distress, Quality of Life, and Autistic Traits in Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome, an Internet-Based Survey in Italy

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1472
Author(s):  
Matteo Rocchetti ◽  
Alessandra Bassotti ◽  
Jacopo Corradi ◽  
Stefano Damiani ◽  
Gianluigi Pasta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Background: Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS) have been associated with psychological distress, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and worsening in quality of life (QoL). Among the neurodevelopmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have shown the highest rates of co-occurrence with EDS. The reasons for these associations are unknown and a possible role of pain in increasing the risk of psychiatric disorders in EDS has been suggested. However, a detailed picture of an Italian EDS sample is still lacking. Methods: We conducted a web-based survey in a third level center for the diagnosis of EDS in northern Italy, to investigate psychological distress, QoL, and the presence of autistic traits. Furthermore, we correlated the psychometric data with some clinical variables. Results: We observed a high rate of psychological distress with 91% of the responders at high risk of common mental disorders, low QoL, and high prevalence of autistic traits in EDS patients. Specifically, patients lacking a specific genetic test, diagnosed as suspects of EDS appeared to be at greater risk and reported worse psychological QoL. Pain was significantly associated with both psychological distress and worse QoL. Conclusions: Our findings support the need of further research and of a multi-disciplinary approach to EDS including psychological and psychiatric liaison.

scholarly journals Autonomic dysfunction in autism: The roles of anxiety, depression, and stress

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132098565
Author(s):  
Emily C Taylor ◽  
Lucy A Livingston ◽  
Mitchell J Callan ◽  
Chris Ashwin ◽  
Punit Shah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. However, little is known about this relationship, while accounting for co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety) that are also associated with ANS dysfunction. In addition, research on the ANS has typically involved physiological measurements, without using more clinically meaningful measures of ANS dysfunction, such as the self-reported frequency of ANS-related physical health symptoms. Furthermore, very little is known about ANS function in autistic adults, given that previous research has focused on ANS dysfunction in children with ASD. Addressing these gaps in the literature, we compared ANS function in adults with(out) ASD (Study 1). Although autistic adults reported greater ANS dysfunction than matched neurotypical controls, this difference was not significant after controlling for anxiety and depression. Similarly, in a large nonclinical sample (Study 2), we found that anxiety and stress mediated the relationship between autistic traits and ANS dysfunction. Together, we conclude that ANS dysfunction is not a feature of ASD per se, but instead attributable to the high levels of anxiety and stress in autistic adults. We discuss the clinical relevance of these findings for managing ANS dysfunction and other physical and mental health concerns in autistic adulthood. Lay abstract The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for the functioning of the heart, bladder, pupils and several other bodily functions. Therefore, when the ANS functions abnormally, individuals can experience a number of physical symptoms, including dizziness, abnormal sweating and digestive difficulties. Currently, it is unclear if autistic adults experience ANS dysfunction. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether autistic adults report more ANS-related physical symptoms, indicating greater ANS dysfunction, and whether this may be related to autism, or rather anxiety, depression, or stress. The findings suggest that ANS dysfunction, where found in autism, is due to co-occurring stress and anxiety. We therefore propose that treating stress and anxiety may be an effective way to ameliorate ANS-related health problems in autistic adults.

scholarly journals Perceived closeness and autistic traits modulate interpersonal vocal communication

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Spinola ◽  
T.A. Sumathi ◽  
Nandini Chatterjee Singh ◽  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Flexible Tool ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

AbstractVocal modulation is a critical component of interpersonal communication. It not only serves as a dynamic and flexible tool for self-expression and linguistic information but also plays a key role in social behaviour. Variation in vocal modulation can be driven by individual traits of the individual interlocutors, as well as by factors relating to the dyad, such as the perceived closeness between interlocutors. Accordingly, the current study examines the role of a) individual differences in autism-related traits, and b) perceived closeness between interlocutors on vocal modulation. Since lack of appropriate vocal modulation is often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders we also focus on autism-related individual traits. The role of these individual and dyad-level factors on vocal modulation is tested for cultural generalizability by conducting this study in three separate samples from India, Italy, and the UK. Articulatory features were extracted from recorded conversations between a total of 85 same-sex pairs of participants and correlated with their self-reported perceived closeness (CR) to the other member of the pair and with the individual Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results indicated a significant positive correlation between interpersonal closeness and articulation area in all three samples. A significant negative correlation between AQ and articulation area was observed only in the UK sample. This study thus provides novel insights into determinants of interpersonal vocal communication and a test of their cultural generalizability.

scholarly journals Oxytocin-Trust Link in Oxytocin-Sensitive Participants and Those Without Autistic Traits

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Kurokawa ◽  
Yusuke Kinari ◽  
Hiroko Okudaira ◽  
Kiyotaka Tsubouchi ◽  
Yoshimichi Sai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Detectable Effect ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
The Mean

There have been numerous studies in which the biological role of oxytocin in trusting behavior has been investigated. However, a link between oxytocin and trust in humans was discovered only in one early study. We hypothesized that there is a large interindividual variation in oxytocin sensitivity, and that such variation is one reason for the doubt surrounding the role of oxytocin in trusting behavior. Here, in a double-blind, prospective, case-control study, we administered intranasal oxytocin to participants of trust and risk games. We measured salivary oxytocin concentration, relating it to the amount of money transferred among participants (a proxy for trust) and the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ). A one-sided Fisher’s exact test was performed to detect differences between the oxytocin and placebo groups in the proportions of investors who transferred the maximum amount of money. We discovered a tendency for participants who received oxytocin to transfer higher amounts of money to co-participants than those who received a placebo (P = 0.04). We also revealed a high degree of interindividual variation in salivary oxytocin concentrations after oxytocin administration. After stratifying the samples with respect to oxytocin sensitivity, oxytocin-sensitive participants in the oxytocin group also transferred higher amounts of money than those in the placebo group (P = 0.03), while such a tendency was not observed for oxytocin-insensitive participants (P = 0.34). Participants with lower AQ scores (less severe autistic traits) exhibited a greater tendency toward trusting behavior after oxytocin administration than did those with higher AQ scores (P = 0.02). A two-sample t-test that was performed to detect significant differences in the mean transfers between the oxytocin and placebo groups indicated no significant between-group difference in the mean transfers (P = 0.08). There are two possible interpretations of these results: First, there is no effect of oxytocin on trust in humans; second, the effects of oxytocin on trust in humans is person-dependent. However, the results should be interpreted with caution as the effect size was not larger than the minimal detectable effect size and the results were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) after Bonferroni corrections.

scholarly journals Food and the gut: relevance to some of the autisms

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-483
Author(s):  
Paul Whiteley
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
Bidirectional Associations ◽  
Core Symptoms ◽  
The Brain

Complex, diverse and rarely appearing without comorbidity, the autism spectrum disorders continue to be a source of research interest. With core symptoms variably impacting on social communication skills, the traditional focus of many research efforts has centred on the brain and how genetic and environmental processes impact on brain structure, function and/or connectivity to account for various behavioural presentations. Alongside emerging ideas on autistic traits being present in various clinical states, the autisms, and the overrepresentation of several comorbid conditions impacting on quality of life, other research avenues have opened up. The central role of the brain in relation to autism may be at least partially influenced by the functions of other organs. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract represents an important biological system pertinent to at least some autism. The notion of a gut–brain–behaviour axis has garnered support from various findings: an overrepresentation of functional and pathological bowel states, bowel and behavioural findings showing bidirectional associations, a possible relationship between diet, GI function and autism and recently, greater focus on aspects of the GI tract such as the collected gut microbiota in relation to autism. Gaps remain in our knowledge of the functions of the GI tract linked to autism, specifically regarding mechanisms of action onward to behavioural presentation. Set however within the context of diversity in the presentation of autism, science appears to be moving towards defining important GI-related autism phenotypes with the possibility of promising dietary and other related intervention options onward to improving quality of life.

scholarly journals Endocannabinoid System Alterations in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of Developmental and Accumulative Effects of Trauma

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 247054701986409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahita Bassir Nia ◽  
Ricci Bender ◽  
Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cannabinoid Receptors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Endocannabinoid System ◽  
Developmental Age ◽  
Preclinical And Clinical Studies ◽  
Prolonged Stress ◽  
The Brain

The role of the endocannabinoid system in stress-related psychiatric symptoms has been investigated in many animal and human studies. Although most of these studies consistently report long-lasting effects of prolonged stress and trauma on the endocannabinoid system, the nature and direction of these changes are controversial. We reviewed the available preclinical and clinical studies investigating the endocannabinoid system alterations long after chronic stress and trauma. We propose that the effects of prolonged stress or trauma on the endocannabinoid system are different based on the developmental age of subjects at the time of experiencing the trauma and its repetitiveness and accumulative effects. The current literature consistently demonstrates decreased levels of endocannabinoid ligands and receptors if the trauma occurs in childhood, whereas decreased levels of endocannabinoid ligands and increased levels of cannabinoid receptors are reported when trauma has happened in adulthood. It is important to note that these changes are region-specific in the brain and also there are important sex differences, which are beyond the scope of this review.

scholarly journals Autism and nutrition: the role of the gut–brain axis

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marijke M. H. van De Sande ◽  
Vincent J. van Buul ◽  
Fred J. P. H. Brouns
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Gluten Free ◽  
Gut Health ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Multivitamin Supplementation ◽  
Gastrointestinal Problems ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Carbohydrate Digestion

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by deficits in the ability to socialise, communicate and use imagination, and displays of stereotypical behaviour. It is widely accepted that ASD involves a disorder in brain development. However, the real causes of the neurodevelopmental disorders associated with ASD are not clear. In this respect, it has been found that a majority of children with ASD display gastrointestinal symptoms, and an increased intestinal permeability. Moreover, large differences in microbiotic composition between ASD patients and controls have been reported. Therefore, nutrition-related factors have been hypothesised to play a causal role in the aetiology of ASD and its symptoms. Through a review of the literature, it was found that abnormalities in carbohydrate digestion and absorption could explain some of the gastrointestinal problems observed in a subset of ASD patients, although their role in the neurological and behavioural problems remains uncertain. In addition, the relationship between an improved gut health and a reduction of symptoms in some patients was evaluated. Recent trials involving gluten-free diets, casein-free diets, and pre- and probiotic, and multivitamin supplementation show contradictive but promising results. It can be concluded that nutrition and other environmental influences might trigger an unstable base of genetic predisposition, which may lead to the development of autism, at least in a subset of ASD patients. Clear directions for further research to improve diagnosis and treatment for the different subsets of the disorder are provided.

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