scholarly journals Autism Spectrum Disorders: Assessment of cognitive abilities using the non-verbal SON-R 6-40

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Pontrelli Mecca ◽  
Renata Manuelly Feitosa de Lima ◽  
Jacob Arie Laros ◽  
Elizeu Coutinho de Macedo ◽  
Rosane Lowenthal
Keyword(s):  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Intelligence Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Iq Scores ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Cognition in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) shows large variability. Nonverbal tests can be more suitable for cognitive assessment in this group. We investigated cognitive abilities in ASD using the SON-R 6-40 Nonverbal Intelligence Test. A total of 37 individuals with ASD (AG) aged 6-24 years participated. Cognitive assessment of the AG was done using the SON-R 6-40 and performance compared with the standardized sample which served as the control group (CG). Results showed lower subtest scores in the AG than in the CG. Approximately 84% of the AG had intellectual disability according to IQ scores. Individuals with preserved speech in the AG had higher IQ scores than patients without preserved speech. There was no relationship between intelligence and ASD symptom severity as reported by families.

Individual Differences in Intrinsic Brain Networks Predict Symptom Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 681-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Peng Kiat Pua ◽  
Phoebe Thomson ◽  
Joseph Yuan-Mou Yang ◽  
Jeffrey M Craig ◽  
Gareth Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Face Perception ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Monozygotic Twins ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract The neurobiology of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is still unknown. We hypothesized that differences in subject-level properties of intrinsic brain networks were important features that could predict individual variation in ASD symptom severity. We matched cases and controls from a large multicohort ASD dataset (ABIDE-II) on age, sex, IQ, and image acquisition site. Subjects were matched at the individual level (rather than at group level) to improve homogeneity within matched case–control pairs (ASD: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.58; controls: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.70). Using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging, we extracted intrinsic functional brain networks using projective non-negative matrix factorization. Intrapair differences in strength in subnetworks related to the salience network (SN) and the occipital-temporal face perception network were robustly associated with individual differences in social impairment severity (T = 2.206, P = 0.0301). Findings were further replicated and validated in an independent validation cohort of monozygotic twins (n = 12; 3 pairs concordant and 3 pairs discordant for ASD). Individual differences in the SN and face-perception network are centrally implicated in the neural mechanisms of social deficits related to ASD.

scholarly journals Paternal and maternal age at pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders in offspring

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luh Putu Rihayani Budi ◽  
Mei Neni Sitaresmi ◽  
I Gusti Ayu Trisna Windiani
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Paternal Age ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Smoking During Pregnancy ◽  
Past Half Century ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Paternal Smoking

Background The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders(ASDs) has increased 10 times over the past half century,while paternal and maternal age at pregnancy has alsoincreased. Studies looking for an association between paternalor maternal age at pregnancy and ASDs in offspring have notbeen conclusive.Objective To assess for possible associations between paternaland maternal age at pregnancy and ASDs in offspring.Methods This case-control study had 50 case and 100control subjects, each case was matched for age and genderto two controls. Case subjects were obtained by consecutivesampling of patients aged 18 months to 7 years who visited theDevelopmental Behavioral & Community Pediatrics OutpatientClinic and private growth and development centers from Januaryto April 2013, while control group were children of the sameage range and same gender who visited pediatric outpatientclinic at Sanglah Hospital mostly due to acute respiratory tractinfection, without ASDs as assessed by the DSM-IV-TR criteria.We interviewed parents to collect the following data: maternaland paternal age at pregnancy, child’s birth weight, historyof asphyxia, hospital admission during the neonatal period,pathological labor, maternal smoking during pregnancy, paternalsmoking, and gestational age. Data analysis was performed withChi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.Results Multivariable analysis showed that higher paternal ageat pregnancy was associated with ASDs in offspring (OR 6.3;95%CI 2.0 to 19.3; P 0.001). However, there was no significantassociation between maternal age during pregnancy and theincidence of ASDs. Asphyxia and paternal smoking were alsoassociated with higher incidence of ASDs in the offspring (OR10.3; 95%CI 1.9 to 56.5; P 0.007 and OR 3.2; 95%CI 1.5 to 6.9;P 0.003, respectively).Conclusion􀀃􀀳􀁄􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁑􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁄􀁊􀁈􀀃􀂕􀀗􀀓􀀃􀁜􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁕􀁈􀁄􀁖􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁌􀁖􀁎􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀤􀀶'􀁖􀀃in offspring by 6.3 times. In addition, paternal smoking increased the risk of ASDs in offspring by 3.2 times and asphyxia increasedthe risk of ASDs in offspring by 10.3 times.

scholarly journals Improvement of sleep patterns and serum melatonin levels in children with autism spectrum disorders after consumption of beta-1,3/1,6-glucan in a pilot clinical study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kadalraja Raghavan ◽  
Vidyasagar Devaprasad Dedeepiya ◽  
Ramesh Shankar Kandaswamy ◽  
Mangaleswaran Balamurugan ◽  
Nobunao Ikewaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Conventional Therapy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sleep Pattern ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Melatonin Level ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Sleep Patterns ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Study objectives: Poor sleep quality is a major problem that patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face, which is attributed to their low melatonin levels. Melatonin supplementation is recommended, but its effectiveness is varied. Beta-glucans have previously been reported to improve melatonin levels in animal studies. Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of Aureobasidium pullulans (Nichi Glucan), a species of black yeast that contains beta-1,3/1,6-glucan, in a pilot study of children with ASD. Methods Thirteen children (age = 2.5 to 13 years) with ASD were recruited into the study. The control group consisted of four patients (Gr. 1), while nine patients were in the treatment group (Gr. 2). Gr. 2 received 1 g of Nichi Glucan along with conventional therapy, whereas Gr. 1 underwent conventional therapy alone for 90 days. The serum melatonin levels and sleep patterns, assessed using a subjective questionnaire, were evaluated before and after treatment. Results In Gr. 2, the average serum melatonin level increased from 238.85 ng/dl pre-intervention to 394.72 ng/dl post-intervention. Eight out of nine subjects (88%) in Gr. 2 group showed and improvement in their sleep pattern and quality, while this improvement was not observed in the control group. Conclusions Our study is the first in the literature to report that consumption of Nichi Glucan for 90 days showed visible improvement in sleep quality, sleep pattern, and serum melatonin levels. A larger multicentre study is warranted to validate our findings.

scholarly journals Role of Inner Speech on Serial Recall in Children with ASD: A Pilot Study Using the Luria Hand Test

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Shota Mitsuhashi ◽  
Shogo Hirata ◽  
Hideyuki Okuzumi
Keyword(s):  
Serial Recall ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Articulatory Suppression ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Inner Speech ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Hand Test ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

This study was conducted to investigate the relation between the effect of articulatory suppression on the serial recall and severity of social impairments among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Luria hand test (LHT) was administered to evaluate the capacity for serial recall in 13 children with ASD. The LHT was administered under three conditions: control, under articulatory suppression, and under spatial suppression. Performance on the LHT of children with ASD was significantly lower in terms of both articulatory suppression and the spatial suppression condition. Moreover, the severity of social impairment in children with ASD was related to individual differences of effects of articulatory suppression on the LHT, but not with effects of spatial suppression. These results support the notion that dialogic inner speech which mediates complex cognitive abilities has inherently social origins.

Social Attention in 47,XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome): Visual Scanning of Facial Expressions Using Eyetracking

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 364-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie van Rijn
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Klinefelter Syndrome ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Attention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visual Scanning ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractBoys and men with an extra X chromosome (47,XXY, Klinefelter syndrome) are at risk for problems in social functioning and have an increased vulnerability for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the search for underlying mechanisms driving this increased risk, this study focused on social attention, that is, spontaneous orientation toward facial expressions. Seventeen adults with 47,XXY and 20 non-clinical controls participated in this study. Social attention was measured using an eyetracking method that quantifies the visual scanning patterns of faces expressing different types of emotions (happy, fearful, angry, neutral) and their varying intensity levels (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). Overall, the group with Klinefelter syndrome fixated less on the eye region of faces when compared to controls (Cohen’s d 1.4), and did not show the typical tendency, as was found in the control group, to first fixate on the eyes when presented with a face (Cohen’s d 1.0). There was no significant effect of type or intensity of emotion. Shorter looking times toward eyes showed a borderline significant correlation with self-reports of poorer social functioning, with 29% explained variance. These findings suggest a reduced tendency to rapidly and automatically attend to the eyes of others in individuals with 47,XXY. This may have impact on more complex social-cognitive abilities that build upon this. In addition to studies of behaviorally defined disorders such as ASD, studying individuals with Klinefelter syndrome provide insight into mechanisms underlying various “at risk” pathways of social dysfunction and the factors that mediate this risk. (JINS, 2015, 21, 364–372)

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