scholarly journals Exploring sensory phenotypes in autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichole E. Scheerer ◽  
Kristina Curcin ◽  
Bobby Stojanoski ◽  
Evdokia Anagnostou ◽  
Rob Nicolson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Background Atypical reactions to the sensory environment are often reported in autistic individuals, with a high degree of variability across the sensory modalities. These sensory differences have been shown to promote challenging behaviours and distress in autistic individuals and are predictive of other functions including motor, social, and cognitive abilities. Preliminary research suggests that specific sensory differences may cluster together within individuals creating discrete sensory phenotypes. However, the manner in which these sensory differences cluster, and whether the resulting phenotypes are associated with specific cognitive and social challenges is unclear. Methods Short sensory profile data from 599 autistic children and adults between the ages of 1 and 21 years were subjected to a K-means cluster analysis. Analysis of variances compared age, adaptive behaviour, and traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder across the resultant clusters. Results A five-cluster model was found to minimize error variance and produce five sensory phenotypes: (1) sensory adaptive, (2) generalized sensory differences, (3) taste and smell sensitivity, (4) under-responsive and sensation seeking, and (5) movement difficulties with low energy. Age, adaptive behaviour, and traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder were found to differ significantly across the five phenotypes. Limitations The results were based on parent-report measures of sensory processing, adaptive behaviour, traits associated with autism, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive and compulsive disorder, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further, not all measures are standardized, or psychometrically validated with an autism population. Autistic individuals with an intellectual disability were underrepresented in this sample. Further, as these data were obtained from established records from a large provincial database, not all measures were completed for all individuals. Conclusions These findings suggest that sensory difficulties in autistic individuals can be clustered into sensory phenotypes, and that these phenotypes are associated with behavioural differences. Given the large degree of heterogeneity in sensory difficulties seen in the autistic population, these sensory phenotypes represent an effective way to parse that heterogeneity and create phenotypes that may aid in the development of effective treatments and interventions for sensory difficulties.

Exploring Sensory Phenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichole Scheerer ◽  
Kristina Curcin ◽  
Bobby Stojanoski ◽  
Evdokia Anagnostou ◽  
Robert Nicolson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Error Variance ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Attention Deficits ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Social Challenges

Atypical reactions to the sensory environment are often reported in autistic individuals, with a high degree of variability across the sensory modalities. These sensory differences have been shown to promote challenging behaviours and distress in autistic individuals, with downstream effects on other functions including motor, social, and cognitive abilities. Preliminary research suggests that specific sensory differences may cluster together within individuals creating discrete sensory phenotypes. However, the manner in which these sensory differences cluster, and whether the resulting phenotypes are associated with specific cognitive and social challenges is unclear. Short Sensory Profile data from 599 autistic children between the ages of 1 and 21 years were subjected to a K-means cluster analysis. A five-cluster model was found to minimize error variance and produce five meaningful sensory phenotypes: (1) Sensory Adaptive, (2) Generalized Sensory Differences, (3) Taste and Smell Sensitivity, (4) Under-Responsive and Sensation Seeking, and (5) Movement Difficulties with Low Energy. Age, adaptive behaviour, autistic symptomatology, attention deficits and hyperactivity, and obsessive and compulsive traits were found to differ significantly across the five phenotypes. These findings suggest that sensory difficulties in autistic individuals can be clustered into meaningful sensory phenotypes, and that these phenotypes are associated with behavioural differences. Given the large degree of heterogeneity in sensory difficulties seen in the autistic population, these sensory phenotypes represent a meaningful way to parse that heterogeneity and create meaningful phenotypes that may aid in the development of effective treatments and interventions for sensory difficulties. However, the results were based on parent-report measures of sensory processing, adaptive behaviour, autistic symptomatology, attention deficits and hyperactivity, and obsessive and compulsive traits, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.

scholarly journals White matter alterations in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in relation to sensory profile

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruhisa Ohta ◽  
Yuta Aoki ◽  
Takashi Itahashi ◽  
Chieko Kanai ◽  
Junya Fujino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
White Matter Abnormalities ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

AbstractBackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high rates of co-occurrence and share atypical behavioral characteristics, including sensory problems. The present diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study was conducted to examine whether and how white matter abnormalities are observed in adult populations with developmental disabilities (DD) and to determine how brain-sensory relationships are either shared between or distinct to ASD and ADHD.MethodsWe collected DTI data from adult developmental disorder (DD) populations (a primary diagnosis of ASD: n=105, ADHD: n=55) as well as age and sex matched typically developed (TD) participants (n=58). Voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The severities of sensory problems were assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP).ResultsCategorical analyses identified voxel clusters showing significant effects of DD on FA and RD in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and its extension in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, regression analyses using the AASP scores revealed that slopes in relationships of FA or RD with the degree of sensory problems were parallel between the two DDs in large parts of the affected corpus callosum regions, although a small but significant cluster did exist showing interaction between the diagnosis of DD and an AASP subscale score on RD.ConclusionsThese results indicate that white matter abnormalities and their relationships to sensory problems are largely shared between ASD and ADHD, with localized abnormalities showing significant between-diagnosis differences within DD. (247 words)

scholarly journals Subcortical brain volume, regional cortical thickness and cortical surface area across attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Premika S.W. Boedhoe ◽  
Daan van Rooij ◽  
Martine Hoogman ◽  
Jos W.R. Twisk ◽  
Lianne Schmaal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

ABSTRACTObjectiveAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently co-occur. We aimed to directly compare all three disorders. The ENIGMA consortium is ideally positioned to investigate structural brain alterations across these disorders.MethodsStructural T1-weighted whole-brain MRI of controls (n=5,827) and patients with ADHD (n=2,271), ASD (n=1,777), and OCD (n=2,323) from 151 cohorts worldwide were analyzed using standardized processing protocols. We examined subcortical volume, cortical thickness and surface area differences within a mega-analytical framework, pooling measures extracted from each cohort. Analyses were performed separately for children, adolescents, and adults using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for age, sex and site (and ICV for subcortical and surface area measures).ResultsWe found no shared alterations among all three disorders, while shared alterations between any two disorders did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Children with ADHD compared to those with OCD had smaller hippocampal volumes, possibly influenced by IQ. Children and adolescents with ADHD also had smaller ICV than controls and those with OCD or ASD. Adults with ASD showed thicker frontal cortices compared to adult controls and other clinical groups. No OCD-specific alterations across different age-groups and surface area alterations among all disorders in childhood and adulthood were observed.ConclusionOur findings suggest robust but subtle alterations across different age-groups among ADHD, ASD, and OCD. ADHD-specific ICV and hippocampal alterations in children and adolescents, and ASD-specific cortical thickness alterations in the frontal cortex in adults support previous work emphasizing neurodevelopmental alterations in these disorders.

scholarly journals Cross-disorder GWAS meta-analysis for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Tourette Syndrome

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyu Yang ◽  
Hanrui Wu ◽  
Phil H. Lee ◽  
Fotis Tsetsos ◽  
Lea K. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Tourette Syndrome ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

AbstractAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Tourette Syndrome (TS) are among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence. High comorbidity rates across these four disorders point toward a common etiological thread that could be connecting them across the repetitive behaviors-impulsivity-compulsivity continuum. Aiming to uncover the shared genetic basis across ADHD, ASD, OCD, and TS, we undertake a systematic cross-disorder meta-analysis, integrating summary statistics from all currently available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for these disorders, as made available by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) and the Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH). We present analysis of a combined dataset of 93,294 individuals, across 6,788,510 markers and investigate associations on the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), gene and pathway levels across all four disorders but also pairwise. In the ADHD-ASD-OCD-TS cross disorder GWAS meta-analysis, we uncover in total 297 genomewide significant variants from six LD (linkage disequilibrium) -independent genomic risk regions. Out of these genomewide significant association results, 199 SNPs, that map onto four genomic regions, show high posterior probability for association with at least three of the studied disorders (m-value>0.9). Gene-based GWAS meta-analysis across ADHD, ASD, OCD, and TS identified 21 genes significantly associated under Bonferroni correction. Out of those, 15 could not be identified as significantly associated based on the individual disorder GWAS dataset, indicating increased power in the cross-disorder comparisons. Cross-disorder tissue-specificity analysis implicates the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (stress response) as possibly underlying shared pathophysiology across ADHD, ASD, OCD, and TS. Our work highlights genetic variants and genes that may contribute to overlapping neurobiology across the four studied disorders and highlights the value of re-defining the framework for the study across this spectrum of highly comorbid disorders, by using transdiagnostic approaches.

scholarly journals White matter alterations in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in relation to sensory profile

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruhisa Ohta ◽  
Yuta Y. Aoki ◽  
Takashi Itahashi ◽  
Chieko Kanai ◽  
Junya Fujino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Posterior Portion ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high rates of co-occurrence and share atypical behavioral characteristics, including sensory symptoms. The present diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study was conducted to examine whether and how white matter alterations are observed in adult populations with developmental disorders (DD) and to determine how brain–sensory relationships are either shared between or distinct to ASD and ADHD. Methods We collected DTI data from adult population with DD (a primary diagnosis of ASD: n = 105, ADHD: n = 55) as well as age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) participants (n = 58). Voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The severities of sensory symptoms were assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Results Categorical analyses identified voxel clusters showing significant effects of DD on FA and RD in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and its extension in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, regression analyses using the AASP scores revealed that slopes in relationships of FA or RD with the degree of sensory symptoms were parallel between the two DDs in large parts of the affected corpus callosum regions. A small but significant cluster did exist showing difference in association between an AASP subscale score and RD across ASD and ADHD. Limitations Wide age range of the participants may be oversimplified. Conclusions These results indicate that white matter alteration and their relationships to sensory symptoms are largely shared between ASD and ADHD, with localized abnormalities showing significant between-diagnosis differences within DD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 158-176
Author(s):  
Karen Bearss ◽  
Aaron J. Kaat
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Delayed Recognition

This chapter will review the available evidence on individuals with co-occurring diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This chapter contends that children diagnosed with both disorders (ASD+ADHD) are a subset of the ASD population that is at risk for delayed recognition of their ASD diagnosis, poor treatment response, and poorer functional outcomes compared to those with ASD without ADHD. Specifically, the chapter highlights the best estimates of the prevalence of the comorbidity, the developmental trajectory of people with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, how ADHD symptoms change across development, overlapping genetic and neurobiological risk factors, psychometrics of ADHD diagnostic instruments in an ASD population, neuropsychological and functional impairments associated with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, and the current state of evidence-based treatment for both ASD and ADHD symptoms. Finally, the chapter discusses fruitful avenues of research for improving understanding of this high-risk comorbidity so that mechanism-to-treatment pathways for ADHD in children with ASD can be better developed.

scholarly journals Medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with or without coexisting autism spectrum disorder: analysis of data from the Swedish prescribed drug register

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoria Johansson ◽  
Sven Sandin ◽  
Zheng Chang ◽  
Mark J. Taylor ◽  
Paul Lichtenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Adhd Medication ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Drug Register

Abstract Background Clinical studies found that medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is effective in coexisting autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but current research is based on small clinical studies mainly performed on children or adolescents. We here use register data to examine if individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD present differences in the prescribing patterns of ADHD medication when compared to individuals with pure ADHD. Methods Data with information on filled prescriptions and diagnoses was retrieved from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the National Patient Register. We identified 34,374 individuals with pure ADHD and 5012 individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD, aged between 3 and 80 years. The first treatment episode with ADHD medications (≥ 2 filled prescriptions within 90 days) and daily doses of methylphenidate during a 3-year period was measured. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for the likelihood of being prescribed ADHD medication in individuals with and without ASD and Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare group differences in dose per day. Results Individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD were less likely to start continuous treatment with ADHD medication (ADHD 80.5%; ADHD with ASD 76.2%; OR, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.86), were less likely to be prescribed methylphenidate, and were more commonly prescribed second line treatments such as dexamphetamine, amphetamine, or modafinil. No group difference was observed for atomoxetine. In adults with ADHD and coexisting ASD, methylphenidate was prescribed in lower daily doses over three years as compared to individuals with pure ADHD. Conclusions The findings indicate that there are differences in the medical treatment of individuals with or without ASD. If these differences are due to different medication responses in ASD or due to other factors such as clinicians’ perceptions of medication effects in patients with ASD, needs to be further studied.

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