scholarly journals Altered Cytokine and BDNF Levels in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne M.Y. Han ◽  
Suk Yu Yau ◽  
Melody M.Y. Chan ◽  
Chun Kwok Wong ◽  
Agnes S. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Chemokine Ligand ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Previous studies have shown that immunological factors are involved in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The present study examined whether immunological abnormalities are associated with cognitive deficits and problem behaviors in children with ASD and whether children with ASD show different immunological biomarkers and brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF levels than typically developing (TD) children. Sixteen TD and 18 children with ASD, aged 6–18 years, voluntarily participated in the study. Participants’ executive functions were measured using neuropsychological tests, and behavioral measures were measured using parent ratings. Immunological measures were assessed by measuring the levels of chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in participants’ blood serum. Children with ASD showed greater deficits in cognitive functions as well as altered levels of immunological measures when compared to TD children, and their cognitive functions and behavior deficits were significantly associated with increased CCL5 levels and decreased BDNF levels. These results provide evidence to support the notion that altered immune functions are associated with neuronal deficits, are indexed by decreased levels of BDNF and manifest as selective cognitive and behavioral symptoms in individuals with ASD.

scholarly journals Effects of background music on socially reinforced problem behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc J. Lanovaz ◽  
Sarah C. Huxley
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Preference Assessment ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Background Music ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Alternating Treatment Design ◽  
Treatment Design

Prior research has shown that background music may be effective at reducing problem behaviors maintained by non-social (sensory) reinforcement in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, no study has examined the effects of background music on socially-reinforced problem behaviors, which are also common in this population. Thus, the purpose of our study was to extend previous research by examining the effects of background music on engagement in problem behaviors maintained by social reinforcement in children with ASD. Following a music preference assessment and a functional analysis, we used an alternating-treatment design to examine the effects of background music on problem behaviors in three children with ASD. Background music produced clear reductions in problem behaviors for one participant and marginal reductions in a second participant. Albeit preliminarily, our results indicate that background music may reduce engagement in problem behaviors maintained by access to other socially-mediated reinforcers.

Disfluency Characteristics Observed in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Report

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura W. Plexico ◽  
Julie E. Cleary ◽  
Ashlynn McAlpine ◽  
Allison M. Plumb
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Developmental Stuttering

This descriptive study evaluates the speech disfluencies of 8 verbal children between 3 and 5 years of age with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Speech samples were collected for each child during standardized interactions. Percentage and types of disfluencies observed during speech samples are discussed. Although they did not have a clinical diagnosis of stuttering, all of the young children with ASD in this study produced disfluencies. In addition to stuttering-like disfluencies and other typical disfluencies, the children with ASD also produced atypical disfluencies, which usually are not observed in children with typically developing speech or developmental stuttering. (Yairi & Ambrose, 2005).

scholarly journals Oral Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Unique Collaboration between Dentistry and Occupational Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Dominique H. Como ◽  
Leah I. Stein Duker ◽  
José C. Polido ◽  
Sharon A. Cermak
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Clinic Visit ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk for oral health disparities. With the dramatic rise in ASD prevalence to 1 in 54 children, it is likely that an increasing number of dental practitioners will encounter or be asked to treat children with ASD. This paper reviews explanations related to the increasing prevalence of ASD, provides reasons why children with ASD are at increased risk for poor oral health, and discusses unique interprofessional collaborations between dental practitioners and occupational therapists. Occupational therapists and dentists can work together to plan modifications to the dental environment or adapt dental protocols to reduce some of the barriers encountered by those with ASD, provide desensitization strategies before the clinic visit, or help a child with emotional regulation during clinical treatments.

scholarly journals Increased Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha, Resistin, and Visfatin in the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Ghaffari ◽  
Elham Mousavinejad ◽  
Forough Riahi ◽  
Masoumeh Mousavinejad ◽  
Mohammad Reza Afsharmanesh
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Tumor Necrosis Factor ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Background. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex disorders where the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Several proinflammatory and immunoinflammatory disturbances have been observed in the etiology of ASD. There is, however, limited knowledge on variations of adipokines in ASD. The present study aimed to analyze the serum levels of resistin, visfatin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in children with ASD in relation to body weight, gender, and ASD severity level. Method. In total, 30 children with ASD (mean age: 7.72±2.65 y; range; 4–12 y) and 30 healthy children (mean age: 8.4±2.66 y; range: 4–12 y), including males and females, were matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Serum samples were collected, and visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α serum levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Result. Serum visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α levels in children with ASD were significantly higher than that in the healthy patients (p<0.05). Two significant correlations were found: a correlation between resistin and visfatin with TNF-α in children with ASD (R = 0.8 and R = 0.62, resp.) and a correlation between resistin and visfatin in children with ASD (R = 0.66). Conclusion. Higher TNF-α, resistin, and visfatin levels were found in children with ASD in comparison with controls, suggesting that elevated levels of serum proinflammatory agents may be implicated in the pathophysiology of ASD.

Handedness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S214-S214 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Kobylinska ◽  
C.G. Anghel ◽  
I. Mihailescu ◽  
F. Rad ◽  
I. Dobrescu
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Hand Preference ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Left Handedness ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Hand Laterality ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Competing Interest

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a less definitive hand preference for certain actions as opposed to neurotypical children. Moreover, left-handedness in children with ASD has been associated with more echolalia. The objective was to conduct a screening of potential risk and associated features for autism spectrum disorders, among which the hand preference of the child. The current aim is to compare the perceived handedness of children with autism spectrum disorders with that of children with other psychiatric pathologies.MethodsEight hundred and forty-two parents completed our risk and associated features screening questionnaire. Out of these, 494 answered the question regarding handedness (209 had children diagnosed with ASD). This asked the parents to state how they perceived their child's handedness. An ADOS assessment has been conducted for 170 of the children whose parents were included in the study, based on clinical relevance for the case. The data were analysed using Excel and SPSS 22.0. For the comparisons, Chi2 and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used.ResultsChildren with ASD had more left-handedness (χ2(2) = 12.54, P = 0.002). There were no differences between boys and girls in terms of perceived handedness in any of the groups. There were no differences in the ADOS scores according to the perceived hand laterality (χ2(2) = 0.58, P = 0.74).ConclusionRightward-asymmetry in regions of corpus callosum has been reported to correlate with symptoms severity in ASD. The finding of different perceived handedness in children with ASD versus children with other psychiatric pathologies is useful for designing appropriate, individualized training programs for motor therapy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Validation of Wearable Sensor Technology to Measure Social Proximity of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 108835762110282
Author(s):  
Sarah N. Douglas ◽  
Yan Shi ◽  
Saptarshi Das ◽  
Subir Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sensor System ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Proximity ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle to develop appropriate social skills, which can lead to later social rejection, isolation, and mental health concerns. Educators play an important role in supporting and monitoring social skill development for children with ASD, but the tools used by educators are often tedious, lack suitable sensitivity, provide limited information to plan interventions, and are time-consuming. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the use of a sensor system to measure social proximity between three children with ASD and their peers in an inclusive preschool setting. We compared video-coded data with sensor data using point-by-point agreement to measure the accuracy of the sensor system. Results suggest that the sensor system can adequately measure social proximity between children with ASD and their peers. The next steps for sensor system validation are discussed along with clinical and educational implications, limitations, and future research directions.

scholarly journals Socio-cultural rehabilitation of children with ASD in the State Darwin Museum. Program «Others»

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-60
Author(s):  
T.S. Kubasova
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The State ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Many

The State Darwin Museum has been carrying out work on the socio-cultural rehabilitation of people with disabilities with museum facilities for the many years. The museum is actively developing the direction on the complex adaptation for visitors with autism spectrum disorders.

scholarly journals Socioemotional profiles of autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and disinhibited and reactive attachment disorders: a symptom comparison and network approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Barry Coughlan ◽  
Matt Woolgar ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
Robbie Duschinsky
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Attachment Disorders ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Reactive Attachment ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disinhibited and reactive attachment disorders (RAD/DAD) often experience socioemotional problems. Elucidating a clear picture of these profiles is essential. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) were analysed from cohort of children with ASD (n = 1430), ADHD (n = 1193), and RAD/DAD (n = 39). Kruskal–Wallis Tests and network analytic techniques were used to investigate symptom profiles. Children with ASD experienced more emotional problems, peer problems and fewer prosocial behaviours. Children with ADHD and RAD/DAD had higher levels of hyperactivity and conduct problems. Overall, ASD and ADHD networks were highly correlated (rs = 0.82), and we did not observe a statistically significant difference in terms of global Strength.

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