scholarly journals A Neuro-Phenomenological Perspective on the Autism Phenotype

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 914
Author(s):  
Narzisi Antonio ◽  
Muccio Rosy
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spiritual Experience ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Husserlian Phenomenology ◽  
Phenomenological Perspective ◽  
Autism Phenotype ◽  
Event Schemas

In the current paper, we present a view of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which avoids the typical relational issues, instead drawing on philosophy, in particular Husserlian phenomenology. We begin by following the recent etiological perspectives that suggest a natural predisposition of a part of individuals with ASD towards hypersensitivity and the reduced influence of cognitive priors (i.e., event schemas). Following this perspective, these two characteristics should be considered as a sort of phenomenological a priori that, importantly, could predispose people with ASD towards a spiritual experience, not intended in its religious meaning, but as an attribute of consciousness that consists of being aware of and attentive to what is occurring in the present moment. Potential clinical implications are discussed.

scholarly journals The association between epilepsy and autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 996-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma W Viscidi ◽  
Ashley L Johnson ◽  
Sarah J Spence ◽  
Stephen L Buka ◽  
Eric M Morrow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Maladaptive Behaviors ◽  
Autism Symptoms ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Simons Simplex Collection ◽  
Autism Phenotype

Epilepsy is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but little is known about how seizures impact the autism phenotype. The association between epilepsy and autism symptoms and associated maladaptive behaviors was examined in 2,645 children with ASD, of whom 139 had epilepsy, from the Simons Simplex Collection. Children with ASD and epilepsy had significantly more autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors than children without epilepsy. However, after adjusting for IQ, only hyperactivity symptoms remained significantly increased (13% higher) in the epilepsy group. Among children with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability, children with epilepsy had significantly more irritability (20% higher) and hyperactivity (24% higher) symptoms. This is the largest study to date comparing the autism phenotype in children with ASD with and without epilepsy. Children with ASD and epilepsy showed greater impairment than children without epilepsy, which was mostly explained by the lower IQ of the epilepsy group. These findings have important clinical implications for patients with ASD.

Executive Functions in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
pp. 67-90
Author(s):  
Yael Dai ◽  
Inge-Marie Eigsti
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Adolescents With Autism ◽  
Memory Flexibility ◽  
The Brain

This chapter reviews strengths and weaknesses in executive function (EF) domains, including inhibition, working memory, flexibility, fluency, and planning, in adolescents (age 13–19) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given the dramatic developmental changes in the brain regions that support EF during the period of adolescence, it is critical to evaluate which EF abilities show a distinct profile during this period. As this chapter will demonstrate, youth with ASD show deficits across all domains of EF, particularly in complex tasks that include arbitrary instructions. We describe the fundamental measures for assessing skills in each domain and discuss limitations and future directions for research, as well as clinical implications of these findings for working with youth with ASD.

scholarly journals “Tell Me About Your Picture”: Using Drawings to Support Expressive Language in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Bridget M. Wright ◽  
Joann P. Benigno ◽  
Jamie B. Boster ◽  
John W. McCarthy ◽  
Bridget K. Coologhan
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Drawing Task ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Thirty-one children with and without autism spectrum disorder were asked to draw the meaning of 10 basic concepts. Following each drawing, children explained their drawing to the experimenter. Transcripts of the drawing task were coded for children’s use of personal pronouns and internal state terms. Children’s use of on- and off-task comments while explaining each drawing was examined. Both groups of children had a longer mean length of utterance when prompted to explain their drawings than while they were drawing. Analyses revealed no significant differences between children with and without autism in their use of internal state terms, pronouns, or their use of on- and off-task language during the drawing task. Clinical implications for the use of drawings as expressive language supports for children with autism are discussed.

scholarly journals Neural features of sustained emotional information processing in autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla A Mazefsky ◽  
Amanda Collier ◽  
Josh Golt ◽  
Greg J Siegle
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group

Emotion dysregulation is common in autism spectrum disorder; a better understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms could inform treatment development. The tendency toward repetitive cognition in autism spectrum disorder may also increase susceptibility to perseverate on distressing stimuli, which may then increase emotion dysregulation. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms of sustained processing of negative information in brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used an event-related task that alternated between emotional processing of personally relevant negative words, neutral words, and a non-emotional task. A priori criteria were developed to define heightened and sustained emotional processing, and feature conjunction analysis was conducted to identify all regions satisfying these criteria. Participants included 25 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and 23 IQ-, age-, and gender-matched typically developing controls. Regions satisfying all a priori criteria included areas in the salience network and the prefrontal dorsolateral cortex, which are areas implicated in emotion regulation outside of autism spectrum disorder. Collectively, activity in the identified regions accounted for a significant amount of variance in emotion dysregulation in the autism spectrum disorder group. Overall, these results may provide a potential neural mechanism to explain emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder, which is a significant risk factor for poor mental health. Lay abstract Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder struggle with emotions that are intense and interfering, which is referred to as emotion dysregulation. Prior research has established that individuals with autism may be more likely than individuals who are not autistic to have repetitive thoughts. It is possible that persistent thoughts about negative or distressing stimuli may contribute to emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. This study aimed to identify areas of the brain with evidence of persistent processing of negative information via functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging. We used a task that alternated between emotional processing of personally relevant negative words, neutral words, and a non-emotional task. Criteria were developed to define heightened and persistent emotional processing, and analyses were conducted to identify all brain regions satisfying these criteria. Participants included 25 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and 23 typically developing adolescents who were similar to the autism spectrum disorder group in IQ, age, and gender ratios. Brain regions identified as having greater and continued processing following negative stimuli in the autism spectrum disorder group as compared with the typically developing group included the salience network and the prefrontal dorsolateral cortex. These areas have been previously implicated in emotion dysregulation outside of autism spectrum disorder. Collectively, brain activity in the identified regions was associated with parent-reported emotion dysregulation in the autism spectrum disorder group. These results help to identify a potential process in the brain associated with emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. This information may be useful for the development of treatments to decrease emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder.

The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire: Mothers Versus Fathers of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifat Seidman ◽  
Nurit Yirmiya ◽  
Shahaf Milshtein ◽  
Richard P. Ebstein ◽  
Shlomit Levi
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Broad Autism Phenotype ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Phenotype

scholarly journals Associations between parental broader autism phenotype and child autism spectrum disorder phenotype in the Study to Explore Early Development

Autism ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 436-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Rubenstein ◽  
Lisa D Wiggins ◽  
Laura A Schieve ◽  
Chyrise Bradley ◽  
Carolyn DiGuiseppi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Developmental Delay ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Broader Autism Phenotype ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Delay ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Repetitive Motor ◽  
Autism Phenotype

The autism spectrum disorder phenotype varies by social and communication ability and co-occurring developmental, behavioral, and medical conditions. Etiology is also diverse, with myriad potential genetic origins and environmental risk factors. Examining the influence of parental broader autism phenotype—a set of sub-clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder—on child autism spectrum disorder phenotypes may help reduce heterogeneity in potential genetic predisposition for autism spectrum disorder. We assessed the associations between parental broader autism phenotype and child phenotype among children of age 30–68 months enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development (N = 707). Child autism spectrum disorder phenotype was defined by a replication of latent classes derived from multiple developmental and behavioral measures: Mild Language Delay with Cognitive Rigidity, Mild Language and Motor Delay with Dysregulation (e.g. anxiety/depression), General Developmental Delay, and Significant Developmental Delay with Repetitive Motor Behaviors. Scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Adult measured parent broader autism phenotype. Broader autism phenotype in at least one parent was associated with a child having increased odds of being classified as mild language and motor delay with dysregulation compared to significant developmental delay with repetitive motor behaviors (odds ratio: 2.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.16, 5.09). Children of parents with broader autism phenotype were more likely to have a phenotype qualitatively similar to broader autism phenotype presentation; this may have implications for etiologic research.

scholarly journals Etiological Factors of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 472-486
Author(s):  
Ojea Manuel ◽  
Diéguez Nuria ◽  
Dapía María D.
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Early Action ◽  
Wilks Lambda ◽  
Variable Gene ◽  
Subsequent Intervention ◽  
Significant Factors

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have multifactorial etiology, combined by different factors, both genetic, psychological and environmental; however, it´s necessary sharply discriminate those significant factors or components, regarding elaborate an early action protocol for diagnostic processes and subsequent intervention guidelines, which co A total of 192 participants with ASD of three intensity levels (American Psychiatric Association -APA-, 2013) have collaborated in this study. ASD diagnostic shape the discrimination´ aim to 18 independent variables, considered, a priori, potentially influential over diagnostic intrinsic process. Results of discriminant analysis include two axes it delimits the two main functions, represented by two variables: "karyotype" (Wilks´ Lambda statistic= .88) and "diagnosis" (Wilks´ Lambda statistic= .83). Both variables are complemented along structure matrix of discriminant analysis with variable "gene" for first function ("karyotype") and variable "age" to second function ("diagnosis" + "karyotype"). These allow defining the general characteristics to establish an effective action protocol for the specific diagnosis, which constitutes the general aim of this empirical research.  

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