scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Brainstem Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ala Seif ◽  
Carly Shea ◽  
Susanne Schmid ◽  
Ryan A. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Sensorimotor Gating ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Functional Implications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects one in 66 children in Canada. The contributions of changes in the cortex and cerebellum to autism have been studied for decades. However, our understanding of brainstem contributions has only started to emerge more recently. Disruptions of sensory processing, startle response, sensory filtering, sensorimotor gating, multisensory integration and sleep are all features of ASD and are processes in which the brainstem is involved. In addition, preliminary research into brainstem contribution emphasizes the importance of the developmental timeline rather than just the mature brainstem. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to compile histological, behavioral, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological evidence from human and animal studies about brainstem contributions and their functional implications in autism. Moreover, due to the developmental nature of autism, the review pays attention to the atypical brainstem development and compares findings based on age. Overall, there is evidence of an important role of brainstem disruptions in ASD, but there is still the need to examine the brainstem across the life span, from infancy to adulthood which could lead the way for early diagnosis and possibly treatment of ASD.

scholarly journals A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on metaphor comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Do task properties matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1421-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Kalandadze ◽  
Valentina Bambini ◽  
Kari-Anne B. Næss
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Response Format ◽  
Metaphor Comprehension ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractIndividuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulty in comprehending metaphors compared to individuals with typical development (TD). However, there is a large variation in the results across studies, possibly related to the properties of the metaphor tasks. This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis (a) explored the properties of the metaphor tasks used in ASD research, and (b) investigated the group difference between individuals with ASD and TD on metaphor comprehension, as well as the relationship between the task properties and any between-study variation. A systematic search was undertaken in seven relevant databases. Fourteen studies fulfilled our predetermined inclusion criteria. Across tasks, we detected four types of response format and a great variety of metaphors in terms of familiarity, syntactic structure, and linguistic context. Individuals with TD outperformed individuals with ASD on metaphor comprehension (Hedges’ g = −0.63). Verbal explanation response format was utilized in the study showing the largest effect size in the group comparison. However, due to the sparse experimental manipulations, the role of task properties could not be established. Future studies should consider and report task properties to determine their role in metaphor comprehension, and to inform experimental paradigms as well as educational assessment.

scholarly journals Role of Oligodendrocytes and Myelin in the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 951
Author(s):  
Alma Y. Galvez-Contreras ◽  
David Zarate-Lopez ◽  
Ana L. Torres-Chavez ◽  
Oscar Gonzalez-Perez
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Matter Production

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early neurodevelopmental disorder that involves deficits in interpersonal communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Although ASD pathophysiology is still uncertain, alterations in the abnormal development of the frontal lobe, limbic areas, and putamen generate an imbalance between inhibition and excitation of neuronal activity. Interestingly, recent findings suggest that a disruption in neuronal connectivity is associated with neural alterations in white matter production and myelination in diverse brain regions of patients with ASD. This review is aimed to summarize the most recent evidence that supports the notion that abnormalities in the oligodendrocyte generation and axonal myelination in specific brain regions are involved in the pathophysiology of ASD. Fundamental molecular mediators of these pathological processes are also examined. Determining the role of alterations in oligodendrogenesis and myelination is a fundamental step to understand the pathophysiology of ASD and identify possible therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Pathogenetical and Neurophysiological Features of Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Phenomena and Diagnoses

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1588
Author(s):  
Yunho Jin ◽  
Jeonghyun Choi ◽  
Seunghoon Lee ◽  
Jong Won Kim ◽  
Yonggeun Hong
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Deficits ◽  
Restricted Interests ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities ◽  
The Brain

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is accompanied by social deficits, repetitive and restricted interests, and altered brain development. The majority of ASD patients suffer not only from ASD itself but also from its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Alterations in brain structure, synaptic development, and misregulation of neuroinflammation are considered risk factors for ASD and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Electroencephalography has been developed to quantitatively explore effects of these neuronal changes of the brain in ASD. The pineal neurohormone melatonin is able to contribute to neural development. Also, this hormone has an inflammation-regulatory role and acts as a circadian key regulator to normalize sleep. These functions of melatonin may play crucial roles in the alleviation of ASD and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities. In this context, this article focuses on the presumable role of melatonin and suggests that this hormone could be a therapeutic agent for ASD and its related neuropsychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals The effect of being imitated on empathy for pain in adults with high-functioning autism: Disturbed self–other distinction leads to altered empathic responding

Autism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 712-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lize De Coster ◽  
Jan R Wiersema ◽  
Eliane Deschrijver ◽  
Marcel Brass
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Empathy For Pain ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Motor Representations

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with problems in empathy. Recent research suggests that impaired control over self–other overlap based on motor representations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder might underlie these difficulties. In order to investigate the relationship of self–other distinction and empathy for pain in high-functioning autism and matched controls, we manipulated self–other distinction by using a paradigm in which participants are either imitated or not by a hand on a computer screen. A strong pain stimulus is then inflicted on the observed hand. Behavioral and physiological results in this study showed that overall affective responses while watching pain movies were the same in adults with high-functioning autism as in controls. Furthermore, controls showed higher affective responding after being imitated during the whole experiment, replicating previous studies. Adults with high-functioning autism, however, showed increased empathic responses over time after being imitated. Further exploratory analyses suggested that while affective responding was initially lower after being imitated compared to not being imitated, affective responding in the latter part of the experiment was higher after being imitated. These results shed new light on empathic abilities in high-functioning autism and on the role of control over self–other representational sharing.

The Effectiveness of Mirroring- and Rhythm-based interventions for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review (Pre-print)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phoebe Morris ◽  
Ed Hope ◽  
Tom Foulsham ◽  
John Paul Mills
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Autistic Population

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterised as a neurodevelopmental disorder that has continuing deficits in communication skills and social development. Utilising techniques known as mirroring and rhythm, Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT) has shown beneficial effects in the autistic population reducing these deficits. However, no review to date has investigated these individual techniques outside the practice of DMT. This systematic review of studies published between 1975 - 2020 aims to evaluate the effectiveness of both mirroring and rhythm as interventions that target communication skills and social development in children with ASD. Out of 1369 relevant articles, 11 of these met the inclusion criteria. All studies showed beneficial effects of mirroring and rhythm on communication skills and social development in children diagnosed with ASD. Therefore, incorporating these into new interventions and practices may offer substantial therapeutic benefits for children diagnosed with ASD.

Mycotoxin Exposure and Autism: A Systematic Review of Molecular Mechanism

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yılmaz Serkan ◽  
Utku Beyazit ◽  
Aynur Bütün Ayhan
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Given

Background and objective: Exposure to mycotoxins may delay and/or negatively influence the development of neurological, gastrointestinal and inflammatory mechanisms in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therefore, there is a need to address the possible links between mycotoxins and the risk and prevalence of ASD to increase the understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying these links. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underpinning mycotoxin exposure and autism. Methods: The study was based on a systematic approach which focused on the possible associations between mycotoxins and ASD in addition to the role of the mycotoxins on the risk and prevalence of ASD. The systematic review included all molecular mechanism studies examining mycotoxin exposure and autism, and was not limited to a specific period of time. A search was performed on the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Results: The investigation of the literature revealed that a total number of 11 studies with a specific focus on the molecular mechanism of mycotoxin exposure and autism were published between 2008 and 2019. Out of these studies, 7 were research and 4 were review articles. In almost all the articles, possible links between mycotoxins and ASD were revealed. Conclusion: The examination of the given studies provided data related to the links between mycotoxins and ASD. However, evidence related to these links needs to be investigated in larger samples, while the effects of separate mycotoxins and their metabolisms should also be examined.

scholarly journals Folic Acid and Autism: A Systematic Review of the Current State of Knowledge

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1976
Author(s):  
Bianka Hoxha ◽  
Malvina Hoxha ◽  
Elisa Domi ◽  
Jacopo Gervasoni ◽  
Silvia Persichilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mthfr Polymorphisms ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Folic acid has been identified to be integral in rapid tissue growth and cell division during fetal development. Different studies indicate folic acid’s importance in improving childhood behavioral outcomes and underline its role as a modifiable risk factor for autism spectrum disorders. The aim of this systematic review is to both elucidate the potential role of folic acid in autism spectrum disorders and to investigate the mechanisms involved. Studies have pointed out a potential beneficial effect of prenatal folic acid maternal supplementation (600 µg) on the risk of autism spectrum disorder onset, but opposite results have been reported as well. Folic acid and/or folinic acid supplementation in autism spectrum disorder diagnosed children has led to improvements, both in some neurologic and behavioral symptoms and in the concentration of one-carbon metabolites. Several authors report an increased frequency of serum auto-antibodies against folate receptor alpha (FRAA) in autism spectrum disorder children. Furthermore, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms showed a significant influence on ASD risk. More clinical trials, with a clear study design, with larger sample sizes and longer observation periods are necessary to be carried out to better evaluate the potential protective role of folic acid in autism spectrum disorder risk.

scholarly journals Effects of Non-Invasive Neurostimulation on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Protocol for a Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawei Zhang ◽  
Hao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Invasive Neurostimulation

Abstract Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by characteristic impairments in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive behavior. There is a continued need for exploring effective interventions and evaluating treatment options for ASD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive neurostimulation techniques which have shown clinical benefits in adult psychiatric conditions. While in ASD patients, no guideline has so-far recommended on the application of NIBS due to a lack of high-quality synthetic evidence. Therefore, objective of this study will be to systematically evaluate the evidence on clinical effects of non-invasive neurostimulation in patients with ASD. Methods We designed and registered a study protocol for a systematic review. A comprehensive search from database inception onwards will be conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library. Randomized and non-randomized sham-controlled studies assessing the effects of noninvasive neurostimulation in patients with ASD will be identified. Eligibility of citations retrieved will be independently screened by two reviewers. The risk of bias and quality of included studies will be appraised using appropriate tools. A narrative synthesis around the features of the evidences will provided. There may be a chance for meta-analysis to pool the estimates of studies included if three studies or more meet the requirements for meta-analysis. If so, a random-effects model maybe applied. And we will evaluate heterogeneity between studies using the I² statistic. Discussion This systematic review will provide a broad and comprehensive evaluation of the evidence on clinical effects of TMS and tDCS in patients with ASD. Our findings will be reported according to the PRISMA guidelines and may add more confidence when healthcare professionals are making informed decisions about the choice of this therapy. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Systematic review registration: Submitted to PROSPERO, 20/11/2021

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