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 VAIKŲ, TURINČIŲ AUTIZMO SINDROMĄ, TĖVŲ IR MOTINŲ DEPRESYVUMAS

Psichologija ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
Elena Mickevičienė ◽  
Liuda Šinkariova ◽  
Aidas Perminas
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Child ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Gender And Age

Straipsnyje pateikiami abiejų tėvų, kurie augina vaiką, turintį autizmo sindromą, ir kontrolinės grupės tėvų, auginančių normalios raidos vaiką, depresyvumo ypatumai. Analizuodami depresyvumą, kalbame apie tam tikrą ikiklinikinių nuotaikos būsenų intensyvumą, pasireiškiantį liūdesiu, pesimizmu ir aktyvumo sumažėjimu.Tyrimo tikslas – palyginti tėvų ir motinų, auginančių vaikus, kuriems diagnozuotas autizmas, depresyvumo raiškos skirtumus atsižvelgiant į socialinius demografinius veiksnius. Tyrime dalyvavo motinos ir tėvai, auginantys vaikus, turinčius autizmo sindromą. Kontrolinė grupė atrinkta atitinkamai pagal autizmo sindromą turinčio vaiko ir jo tėvų lytį bei amžių – tai motinos ir tėvai, auginantys normalios raidos vaikus. Tyrime depresyvumo lygiui įvertinti buvo naudojama Zungo depresijos (Zung-SRD) skalė. Papildomai buvo pateikiami klausimai apie socialinius demografinius veiksnius: tiriamojo amžių, išsilavinimą, užimtumą, šeimos sudėtį bei vaiko, kuriam diagnozuotas autizmas, amžių, lytį, užimtumą, autizmo sutrikimo sunkumo laipsnį.Buvo nustatyta, kad šeimoje, auginančioje vaiką, kuriam būdingas autizmo sindromas, motinų ir tėvų depresyvumas pasireiškia vienodai. Tėvų ir motinų, auginančių autizmo sindromą turintį vaiką, depresyvumas yra didesnis nei normalios raidos vaiko tėvų ir motinų. Abiejų tėvų, auginančių vaiką, kuriam būdingas autizmo sindromas, depresyvumas nėra susijęs su amžiumi ir išsilavinimu. Autizmo sindromą turinčio vaiko amžius skirtingai siejasi su abiejų tėvų depresyvumo lygiu: tėvų depresyvumas didesnis, kai autizmo sindromą turintis vaikas yra 8–11 metų, o motinų depresyvumas didesnis šį sutrikimą turinčio vaiko paauglystės laikotarpiu (12–18 m.).Pagrindiniai žodžiai: vaikai, turintys autizmo sindromą, tėvas, motina, depresyvumas.Depression in fathers and mothers of children with autism spectrum disorderElena Mickevičienė, Liuda Šinkariova, Aidas Perminas SummaryParenting a child with autism spectrum disorder is stressful for many reasons: difficulty with diagnosis, lack of information about autism and its treatment, deficit of social support, etc. It is impossible to review all the problems experienced by parents, so our study focused on depression in both parents of an autistic child.The purpose of this work was to compare depression in fathers and mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and to compare our findings with results of the control group, i.e. parents of a normally developing child. Depression in our study indicates the intensity of the preclinical state of mind, manifested by sadness, pessimism and a decrease of activity.120 persons participated in the study, 72 (60%) of them being mothers and 48 (40%) fathers of autistic children raging from 3 to 18 years of age. Control group consisted of 69 mothers (57.5%) and 51 fathers (42.5%) of normally developing children of the same age, selected in accordance with the gender and age of autistic children as well as the gender and age of their parents. The age of the participants ranged from 25 to 60 years (mean 39, SD 6.55).For evaluation of depression, we employed Cung’s depression scale. Additional questions on social-demographic factors were also included: age, education and employment status of participants; family composition; age and gender of child with diagnosed autism and occupation.The results showed that depression in mothers and fathers with autistic children did not differ. Both parents of an autistic child had a higher depression than both parents of normally developing children (p = 0,001). The age and education of parents with autistic children did not correlate with depression. The age of the autistic child correlated with depression of both parents differently: when an autistic child was 3–7 years old, depression in fathers and mothers did not differ; when an autistic child was 8–11 years old, depression in fathers was higher than in mothers; during adolescence of an autistic child, the difference of depression persised, but its direction was opposite, mothers showing a higher depression than fathers.There are several limitations to this study. We should note that the sample does not represent the population of families with autistic children. Also, Cung’s depression scale might not be the best scale to evaluate depression in these families. Another limitation is that we did not consider all circumstances, such as marital status, gender of children, occupation of parents and children, individual characteristics, social support and the degree of severity of autism. Findings of this study require further researche. However, the results indicate that parents of an autistic child need special understanding and support.Keywords: autistic child, mother, father, depression.

scholarly journals Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A 10-Year Narrative Review

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Silvia Busti Ceccarelli ◽  
Camilla Ferrante ◽  
Erica Gazzola ◽  
Gian Marco Marzocchi ◽  
Maria Nobile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Fundamental Motor Skills ◽  
Motor Abnormalities

In the past decade, converging evidence has suggested that motor impairment is one of the most consistent markers, alongside sociocommunicative difficulties, for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Indeed, widespread anomalies of movement have been described in the ASD context. These motor abnormalities could have critical implications for subsequent cognitive and social development. Nevertheless, this area of development is particularly underexamined in the autism-related context, and early intervention programs commonly focus on the core symptoms of the condition. In the present work, we review and discuss the findings from recent studies that investigated the effect of interventions regarding fundamental motor skills in autistic children. Although the limited nature of the literature prevents researchers from drawing definitive conclusions, the results from the studies discussed here demonstrated potentially significant improvements in the motor abilities of autistic children after the interventions. Only a subset of the reviewed studies explored possible changes in the sociocommunicative domain after the motor skills improvements, and they had not concordant, although promising, conclusions. Overall, in consideration of the well-documented motor impairment people with the condition, the present findings highlight the importance of including motor skills training within the rehabilitation programs designed for autistic children. Furthermore, this narrative review encourages future interventional trials to consider motor skills as a possible target for reducing activity limitations and participation restrictions of autistic children.

scholarly journals Eating Behaviors of Children with Autism—Pilot Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2687
Author(s):  
Anna Brzóska ◽  
Beata Kazek ◽  
Karolina Kozioł ◽  
Agnieszka Kapinos-Gorczyca ◽  
Małgorzata Ferlewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Bottle Feeding ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
First Year Of Life

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the most recognized neuropsychiatric disorder of childhood. Comorbid conditions (such as feeding disorders) are more common among people with autism than among the general population. The most frequent somatic disorders in autistic children include the gastrointestinal disorders observed in 46–91% of patients. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of the nutrition of children with autism, with particular emphasis placed on feeding in the first year of life, in comparison to the group of healthy peers. Participants included 75 Caucasian children (41 children diagnosed with pure autism, and the control group consisting of 34 children without autistic traits). The analysis was performed based on a questionnaire of own design with the first part devoted to the eating practices of the early infancy. Results: Autistic children, as compared to the healthy peers, presented a shortened time of breastfeeding (the children fell asleep at the breast) (p = 0.04), a delayed introduction of dairy products (p = 0.001), the need of more trials to introduce new foods (p = 0.006), a delayed introduction of foods with solid and lumpy structure (p = 0.004), a longer duration of bottle feeding (p = 0.005), delayed attempts to eating using own hands (p = 0.006) and needed a greater support of parents to divert their attention from food during eating (p = 0.05). Conclusions: 1. The dietary problems are more common among children with the autism spectrum disorder than among the population of healthy children, during the first year of life from the time of introducing the complementary foods. 2. The autistic children experience difficulties with eating and require their parents’ additional involvement significantly more often than their healthy peers.

scholarly journals PedsQL-4.0 in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL2) ◽  
pp. 171-174
Author(s):  
Lal D V ◽  
Sowmi Sri ◽  
Ambikapathy ◽  
Benjamin S
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Test Group ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro developmental disorder in DSM-5, characterized by social deficits and communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviours and interests, sensory issues, and in some cases, cognitive delays. Prevalence of ASD is ever increasing recently throughout the world. There aren’t enough studies which have considered the qualities of life (QoL) of Autistic children through there are many comparing the QoL of parents of children with ASD. Hence there is need for more research on the quality of life of autistic children. The diagnostic criteria for ASD are available in the revised text edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) of the American Psychiatric Association. This study assesses the Paediatric Quality of Life (PQOL) of ASD children, from a multidimensional perspective based on the Cross-sectional survey which considered Physiological function, emotional function, social function and school performance. This study aimed to evaluate the QoL of children with ASD aged 2–12 years. 98 autistic children (male: 69, female: 29; 2- 4 years old: 40, 5- 7 year old: 43, 8 - 12 years old: 15) and 100 normal children (control group) are brought into this study. The children satisfying the DSM-5 as ASD were subjected to assessment of their QoL with Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)  questionnaire by their parents, compared with standard scores. Present study shows lower scores in the test group on the PedsQL4.0 universality Core scale in comparison with the control group. Behaviour issues had a negative effect on Community adaptation, mental health, a lower intelligence-related quality of life for children and clinically significant autistic symptoms in comparison with children with fewer symptoms. Results suggest greater impairment in adaptive functioning and emotional disorders. For mild-moderate ASD children, better development probably played a significant role in response to rehabilitation, to achieve and maintain the best level of overall outcome. The severity of the disorder and coping strategies in social settings were related to self-care ability and adaptation and intelligence. Hence pediatricians are must evaluate these children for early interventions and medications, if needed, and have QoL integrated in the overall care plan.

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.

Cellular Bioenergetic and Metabolic Changes in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gevezova ◽  
Danail Minchev ◽  
Iliana Pacheva ◽  
Yordan Sbirkov ◽  
Ralitsa Yordanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Cell Metabolism ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Metabolic Changes ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽  
And Gender

Background: Although Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered a heterogeneous neurological disease in childhood, a growing body of evidence associates it with mitochondrial dysfunction explaining the observed comorbidities. Introduction: The aim of this study is to identify variations in cellular bioenergetics and metabolism dependent on mitochondrial function in ASD patients and healthy controls using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We hypothesized that PBMCs may reveal the cellular pathology and provide evidence of bioenergetic and metabolic changes accompanying the disease. Method: PBMC from children with ASD and a control group of the same age and gender were isolated. All patients underwent an in-depth clinical evaluation. A well-characterized cohort of Bulgarian children was selected. Bioenergetic and metabolic studies of isolated PBMCs were performed with a Seahorse XFp analyzer. Result: Our data show that PBMCs from patients with ASD have increased respiratory reserve capacity (by 27.5%), increased maximal respiration (by 67%) and altered adaptive response to oxidative stress induced by DMNQ. In addition, we demonstrate а strong dependence on fatty acids and impaired ability to reprogram cell metabolism. The listed characteristics are not observed in the control group. These results can contribute to a better understanding of the underlying causes of ASD, which is crucial for selecting a successful treatment. Conclusion: The current study, for the first time, provides a functional analysis of cell bioenergetics and metabolic changes in a group of Bulgarian patients with ASD. It reveals physiological abnormalities that do not allow mitochondria to adapt and meet the increased energetic requirements of the cell. The link between mitochondria and ASD is not yet fully understood, but this may lead to the discovery of new approaches for nutrition and therapy.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Early Diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shorifa Shahjadi ◽  
Arif Salam Khan ◽  
Mesbah Uddin Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Serum Lactate ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Blood Ammonia ◽  
Normal Children

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal brain bioenergetics can cause autism.Cellular function impairment due to mitochondrial dysfunction may cause cognitive impairment, language deficits and abnormal energy metabolism in autism.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical evidence of the mitochondrial dysfunction by measuring blood ammonia, serum lactate, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine kinase (CK) in autism spectrum disorder children.Methods: This observational type of analytical study with case-control design was conducted in the Department of Physiology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Shahbag, Dhaka. For this study, a total number of 20 Subjects were randomly selected, among which 10 were apparently healthy subjects (control group-A) for comparison and 10 were diagnosed children with autism spectrum disorder (study group-B). 5ml venous blood was collected from both groups for analysis serum CK, AST, ALT, lactate and blood ammonia. Blood ammonia, serum lactate, AST, ALT and CK level were estimated in all children by standard laboratory method. Independent sample‘t’ test was used for statistical analysis. P value <0.05 was accepted as significant. The mean of all the measured biochemical variables in normal children were within normal ranges.Result: Blood ammonia, serum lactate, AST, CK were found significantly higher in autism spectrum disorder children in comparison to control Conclusion: From the result of this study it may be concluded that mitochondrial dysfunction occur in autistic spectrum disorder children .J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 26, No.1, April, 2017, Page 43-47

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 Speech-in-noise recognition and the relation to vocal pitch perception in adults with autism spectrum disorder and typical development

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Schelinski ◽  
Katharina von Kriegstein
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Pitch Perception ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Vocal Pitch

We tested the ability to recognise speech-in-noise and its relation to the ability to discriminate vocal pitch in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developed adults (matched pairwise on age, sex, and IQ). Typically developed individuals understood speech in higher noise levels as compared to the ASD group. Within the control group but not within the ASD group, better speech-in-noise recognition abilities were significantly correlated with better vocal pitch discrimination abilities. Our results show that speech-in-noise recognition is restricted in people with ASD. We speculate that perceptual impairments such as difficulties in vocal pitch perception might be relevant in explaining these difficulties in ASD.

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