scholarly journals Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study Exploring Associations between Child Sleep Problems, Child Factors and Parent Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11377
Author(s):  
Nicole Papadopoulos ◽  
Chloe Emonson ◽  
Christina Martin ◽  
Emma Sciberras ◽  
Harriet Hiscock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Child Sleep ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Child Factors ◽  
Outcomes For Children ◽  
Parent Factors

Sleep problems are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, few studies have undertaken group comparisons of sleep profiles and factors associated with poorer sleep between children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID; hereafter referred to as ASD) and ASD with co-occurring ID (hereafter referred to as ASD + ID). This study aimed to (1) compare child (sleep problems and emotional and behavioural problems (EBPs)) and parent factors (parenting stress and mental health) for children with ASD compared to children with ASD + ID, and (2) examine the associations between sleep problems and child and parent factors in both groups. Parents of 56 children with ASD (22 ASD, 34 ASD + ID) aged 6–13 years took part in the study. No statistically significant differences in sleep problems were found between children with ASD compared to children with ASD + ID. However, total EBPs were independently associated with child sleep problems in both groups. Further, ‘Self-Absorbed’ and ‘Communication Disturbance’ EBPs were significantly greater in the ASD + ID compared to the ASD group. Overall treatment outcomes for children with ASD may be further improved if consideration is given to the specific types of EBPs being experienced by the child and their association with sleep problems.

scholarly journals Variations in Genes Related to Sleep Patterns in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann E. E. Johansson ◽  
Janice S. Dorman ◽  
Eileen R. Chasens ◽  
Christine A. Feeley ◽  
Bernie Devlin
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Patterns ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Melatonin Synthesis ◽  
Children With Asd

Background: Sleep disturbance is a frequent comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting an estimated 40–80% of cases. Previous reports have shown relationships between several circadian rhythm–related genes and sleep problems in ASD. The purpose of the present study was to relate variation in and around melatonin synthesis and suprachiasmatic nucleus genes to sleep problems in a large sample of children with ASD. Method: This secondary analysis used existing genotypic and phenotypic data for 2,065 children, aged 4–18 years, from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC). Sleep problems were measured with the SSC Sleep Interview. Expression quantitative trait loci and single nucleotide polymorphisms in 25 circadian genes were chosen primarily for their impact on expression levels of target genes in the brain. Associations between variants and composite sleep problems, nighttime problems, daytime problems, and sleep duration problems were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Age, sex, nonverbal IQ, ASD severity, gastrointestinal distress, seizures, and ancestry were included as covariates. Transmission disequilibrium tests were performed to test for overtransmission of alleles in the same variants. Results: No significant associations or transmission disequilibrium were found between gene variants and sleep problems in this sample of children with ASD. Conclusion: Variation in expression of investigated genes in the melatonin synthesis and suprachiasmatic nucleus pathways did not have notable impacts on sleep problems in this large sample of children with ASD. Future research could explore translational and posttranslational effects of these genes or the effects of genes in other sleep-homeostasis pathways on sleep patterns.

Health status of people with autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Koceski ◽  
Vladimir Trajkovski
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children With Asd

Purpose The aim of this study is to determine what changes occur in the health status of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical controls. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a comparative analysis of data collected from 72 subjects with ASD and 75 neurotypical controls aged 3–24 years using the Rochester Health Status Survey IV (RHSS-IV). A structured individual interview was conducted to compare the health status of subjects in Macedonia. Findings A majority of people with ASD take vitamins, supplements and use recommended drug therapies compared to the neurotypical population and experience a larger number of side effects (p = 0.000). Compared to people with neurotypical development, children with ASD have a higher prevalence of oral ulcers (31.9% vs 17.3%; p = 0.039), changes in neurological health status – epilepsy (19.4% vs 2.7%; p = 0.001) and ADD/ADHD (only persons with ASD-19.4%; p = 0.000); respiratory diseases – angina (30.5% vs 8%; p = 0.000), rhinitis and/or sinusitis (40.3% vs 17.3%; p = 0.02); changes in the gastrointestinal system – constipation (31.9% vs 10.6%; p = 0.02), intestinal inflammation (19.4% vs 8%; p = 0.043), permeable intestines (only persons with ASD – 13.9%; p = 0.000) and the presence of the fungus Candida albicans (19.4% vs 4%; p = 0.043); psychiatric disorders – sleep problems (only in people with ASD – 18%; p = 0.000) and tics (6.9% vs 2.6%; p = 0.25) and skin diseases – eczema/allergic skin rash (36.1% vs 18.7%; p = 0.02). Originality/value Many children with ASD have health problems. These findings support and complement the professional literature on their mutual causality.

Evaluation of agomelatine for the treatment of sleep problems in adults with autism spectrum disorder and co-morbid intellectual disability

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 1395-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pura Ballester ◽  
María José Martínez ◽  
María-del-Mar Inda ◽  
Auxiliadora Javaloyes ◽  
Amanda L Richdale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Temperature Rhythm

Purpose: Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are common, co-occurring developmental disorders and are frequently associated with sleep problems. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of agomelatine as a pharmacotherapy for sleep problems in ASD adults with ID. Method: A randomised, crossover, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with two three-month periods of treatment starting with either agomelatine or placebo and a washout period of two weeks. Ambulatory circadian monitoring (24 hours/7 days) evaluated total sleep time (TST) as the primary outcome variable. Results: Participants ( N=23; 35±12 years old; 83% male) had a median of three (interquartile range (IQR) 1–4) co-morbidities and were taking a median of five (IQR 2–7) prescribed drugs. Before agomelatine or placebo treatment, all subjects presented with insomnia symptoms, including sleep latency (100% abnormal, 55±23 minutes) or TST (55% abnormal, 449±177 minutes), and 66% had circadian rhythm sleep–wake abnormalities with rhythm phase advancements according to the M5 sleep phase marker values. During the three-month agomelatine treatment, night TST significantly increased by a mean of 83 minutes (16% abnormal, 532±121 minutes), together with a phase correction (M5 1:45±2:28 hours vs. 3:15±2:20 hours), improving sleep stability in wrist temperature rhythm (0.43±0.29 vs. 0.52±0.18 AU). Adverse events were mild and transient. Conclusions: Agomelatine was effective and well tolerated for treating insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep problems present in adults with ASD and ID.

scholarly journals Shorter P1m Response in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Disabilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2611
Author(s):  
Yuko Yoshimura ◽  
Takashi Ikeda ◽  
Chiaki Hasegawa ◽  
Kyung-Min An ◽  
Sanae Tanaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Conceptual Ability

(1) Background: Atypical auditory perception has been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Altered auditory evoked brain responses are also associated with childhood ASD. They are likely to be associated with atypical brain maturation. (2) Methods: This study examined children aged 5–8 years old: 29 with ASD but no intellectual disability and 46 age-matched typically developed (TD) control participants. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) data obtained while participants listened passively to sinusoidal pure tones, bilateral auditory cortical response (P1m) was examined. (3) Results: Significantly shorter P1m latency in the left hemisphere was found for children with ASD without intellectual disabilities than for children with TD. Significant correlation between P1m latency and language conceptual ability was found in children with ASD, but not in children with TD. (4) Conclusions: These findings demonstrated atypical brain maturation in the auditory processing area in children with ASD without intellectual disability. Findings also suggest that ASD has a common neural basis for pure-tone sound processing and language development. Development of brain networks involved in language concepts in early childhood ASD might differ from that in children with TD.

scholarly journals Effect of Daily Physical Activity on Sleep Characteristics in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Thai Duy Nguyen ◽  
Michel Guinot ◽  
Véronique-Aurélie Bricout
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd

Background. Sleep problems have been reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One of the methods proposed to improve sleep characteristics is based on physical activity (PA). Objective. To assess characteristics of sleep and the effect of PA level on sleep quality in children with ASD compared to controls. Methods. Fifty boys with ASD (ASD; 10.8 ± 2.6 years) and 18 controls (CONT, 10.1 ± 2.2 years) wore an accelerometer device for five consecutive days to obtain measures of activity and sleep characteristics. Results. Some significant differences were reported between ASD and CONT groups. Wake-up time resistance was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in ASD. Total time for PA, and daily steps number were significantly lower in the ASD group (p < 0.05). Time for sedentary behavior was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the ASD group. Using a principal component analysis and an agglomerative hierarchical analysis, we observed three clusters. Two showed the same poor-quality indices of sleep but two opposing profiles of PA, either an insufficient PA volume (cluster 1, Total time PA = 75.1 min; Daily steps: 7704) or an important PA volume (cluster 3, Total time PA = 222.1 min; Daily steps: 17,164). Cluster 2 was characterized by moderate participation in PA and children with the best sleep indices (Total time PA = 166.8 min; Daily steps: 12,718). Conclusion. The dose–response effect of exercise on sleep may indicate large individual differences but the present findings are important to prevent sedentary behaviors or to correct over-activity that could be detrimental to the sleep quality in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Subgrouping School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Co-Occurring Psychopathology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia M. H. Piergies ◽  
Tomoya Hirota ◽  
Rei Monden ◽  
Shuting Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Externalizing Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disorders ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Children With Asd

Background: Symptom heterogeneity within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is compounded by co-occurring psychopathology. Considering that some psychiatric disorders present together more often than others, deriving subgroups of individuals with ASD based on co-occurring psychopathology could better our understanding of symptom patterns existing within this population. This study's purpose was to derive subgroups of school-aged children with ASD based on co-occurring psychopathology while controlling for age and sex and to examine correlates of subgroup membership. Method: Six latent class models were estimated with a sample from the Simons Simplex Collection (n = 2,092), using dichotomized categories (borderline/clinical versus normal range) from five of the DSM-Oriented Scales of the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6 to 18 as indicator variables. We evaluated the predictive value of intellectual disability and three groups of medical conditions (allergies/autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and neurological disorders) on subgroup membership using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Four subgroups emerged based on the combined presence/absence of psychiatric symptoms: "Low Psychopathology," "Externalizing Problems," "Internalizing Problems," and "High Psychopathology." Gastrointestinal disorders, the strongest predictor, was associated with increased odds of belonging to the "Externalizing Problems," "Internalizing Problems," and "High Psychopathology" subgroups over the "Low Psychopathology" subgroup, whereas intellectual disability was associated with decreased odds. Neurological disorders was also associated with increased odds of belonging to the "Internalizing Problems" and "High Psychopathology" subgroups. Conclusion: Patterns of psychopathology exist within school-aged children with ASD and are correlated with intellectual disability as well as specific medical conditions, providing guidance for clinical practice and etiology-driven research.

scholarly journals Sleep Disorders in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Insights From Animal Models, Especially Non-human Primate Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shufei Feng ◽  
Haoyu Huang ◽  
Na Wang ◽  
Yuanyuan Wei ◽  
Yun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Human Primate

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with deficient social skills, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. The prevalence of ASD has increased among children in recent years. Children with ASD experience more sleep problems, and sleep appears to be essential for the survival and integrity of most living organisms, especially for typical synaptic development and brain plasticity. Many methods have been used to assess sleep problems over past decades such as sleep diaries and parent-reported questionnaires, electroencephalography, actigraphy and videosomnography. A substantial number of rodent and non-human primate models of ASD have been generated. Many of these animal models exhibited sleep disorders at an early age. The aim of this review is to examine and discuss sleep disorders in children with ASD. Toward this aim, we evaluated the prevalence, clinical characteristics, phenotypic analyses, and pathophysiological brain mechanisms of ASD. We highlight the current state of animal models for ASD and explore their implications and prospects for investigating sleep disorders associated with ASD.

Sleep problems in adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pura Ballester ◽  
María José Martínez ◽  
Auxiliadora Javaloyes ◽  
María-del-Mar Inda ◽  
Noemí Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Adults With Autism

scholarly journals Use of Multisensory Room in the Development of Psychomotricity in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Educatia 21 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Jucan Silvia Alexandrina ◽  
Stan Cristian ◽  
Cornelia Stan
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Severe Intellectual Disability ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Special Needs Education

The schooling of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and severe intellectual disability (ID) in special schools, requires personalized professional intervention. Sensory, motor and psychomotor education of the disabled child is an important part of integration in all aspects: educationally, professionally, socially. Activities aimed for the development of the psychomotricity in children with ASD and severe ID are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the national curriculum for special-needs education. The multisensory room is a complex of multifaceted instrument. Our study aims to establish the level of efficacy of an intervention program comprising of activities for the development of psychomotricity carried out in the multisensory room, individualized for children with ASD and severe ID. Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Psychomotricity; Intellectual Disability; Special-Needs Education; Intervention Plan.

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