Cognitive correlates of autism spectrum disorder symptoms

Performance of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 for the Assessment of Autistic Behaviors in a Sample of Canadian Preschool-Aged Children

Behavioral traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically present in early childhood, underscoring the importance of screening tools for the early identification of ASD. The current study compared scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2) Preschool Form between the US standardization sample (n = 247) and a Canadian cohort of preschool-aged children (n = 595) recruited from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. In the MIREC sample, we examined whether ASD-like traits are correlated with sociodemographic characteristics and child intellectual abilities, and how maternal ratings of social skills assessed by the SRS-2 are associated with maternal ratings of general problem behaviors. Mean total SRS-2 raw score was significantly lower in the MIREC sample (mean = 29.7, SD = 15.8) compared to the US standardization sample (mean = 41.9, SD = 26.0). Total raw score in the US standardization sample did not significantly differ between males (mean = 40.6, SD = 23.1) and females (mean = 42.8, SD = 28.7), whereas in the MIREC sample the total raw score was significantly higher among males (mean = 33.0, SD = 17.1) than females (mean = 26.6, SD = 13.9). A significantly larger proportion of the MIREC sample was White, younger in age, and had more educated parents compared to the US standardization sample. ASD-like traits were correlated with lower intellectual abilities, a less enriched home environment, more behavioral problems, and poorer adaptive skills. SRS-2 Preschool Form scores were significantly lower in the Canadian sample compared to the US standardization sample, which may reflect demographic differences between the two groups. Girls may be under-identified when SRS-2 Preschool Form norms are used for screening ASD.

Cognitive-adaptive Functioning Gap and Mediating Factors that Impact Adaptive Functioning in Chinese Preschool-aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to investigate the gap between adaptive functioning and cognitive functioning, especially verbal and nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) in Chinese children with ASD. We systematically explored cognitive functioning, ASD severity, early signs of developmental abnormalities, and socioeconomic factors as mediating factors of adaptive functioning. We enrolled 151 children (age: 2.5?6 years) with ASD and categorized them into one group with IQ ≥ 70 and another with IQ < 70. The two groups were calibrated for age, age at diagnosis, and IQ, and the relationship of adaptive skills with vocabulary acquisition index (VAI) and nonverbal index (NVI) were separately analyzed. Results show that the gap between IQ and adaptive functioning was significant in children with ASD having IQ ≥ 70, with both VAI and NVI showing statistically significant differences (all P < 0.001). VAI correlated positively with scores for overall adaptive skills and specific domains, whereas NVI had no significant correlations with adaptive skill scores. Age of first walking unaided had an independent positive correlation (all P < 0.05) with scores of adaptive skills and specific domains. IQ-adaptive functioning gap is significant in children with ASD having IQ ≥ 70, suggesting that defining "high-functioning autism" merely on the basis of IQ is not appropriate. Verbal IQ and early signs of motor development are specific and possible predictors of adaptive functioning in children with ASD, respectively.

Cognitive functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder

INTRODUCTION

Neuropsychological deficits in areas of Executive Functioning (EF), theory of mind, and central coherence have been well-documented among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, there remains a significant gap in knowledge with regards to neuropsychological profile in adults with ASD. This study aims to investigate the intellectual functioning and neuropsychological profiles of a clinical population of adults with ASD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 40 available autistic individuals referred to an adult developmental disorders clinic at a hospital between 2021 and 2022. All participants were assessed using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (SBIS), Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R), and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS).

RESULTS

Individuals with ASD exhibited lower IQ scores across all domains of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, compared to the general population, although the mean IQ scores remained within the normal range. Significant differences were observed in Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, Non-Verbal IQ, Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory compared to the general population. Additionally, autistic individuals' performance on verbal knowledge was higher compared to non-verbal knowledge. No significant correlations were found between the total and subscale scores of verbal and nonverbal IQ and AQ, RAADS-R, and SRS scores.

CONCLUSION

Considering the significant impacts of cognitive and executive function on the social and occupational aspects of autistic adults, further investigations in this area are warranted.

Personalized functional network mapping for autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two typical neurodevelopmental disorders that have a long-term impact on physical and mental health. ASD is usually comorbid with ADHD and thus shares highly overlapping clinical symptoms. Delineating the shared and distinct neurophysiological profiles is important to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms to guide better therapy. In this study, we aimed to establish the behaviors, functional connectome, and network properties differences between ASD, ADHD-Combined, and ADHD-Inattentive using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used the non-negative matrix fraction method to define personalized large-scale functional networks for each participant. The individual large-scale functional network connectivity (FNC) and graph-theory-based complex network analyses were executed and identified shared and disorder-specific differences in FNCs and network attributes. In addition, edge-wise functional connectivity analysis revealed abnormal edge co-fluctuation amplitude and number of transitions among different groups. Taken together, our study revealed disorder-specific and -shared regional and edge-wise functional connectivity and network differences for ASD and ADHD using an individual-level functional network mapping approach, which provides new evidence for the brain functional abnormalities in ASD and ADHD and facilitates understanding the neurobiological basis for both disorders.

Integrating Causal Discovery and Clinically-Relevant Insights to Explore Directional Relationships between Autistic Features, Sex at Birth, and Cognitive Abilities

Prevalence in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis has long been strongly male-biased. Yet, consensus has not been reached on mechanisms and clinical features that underlie sex-based discrepancies. Whereas females may be under-diagnosed because of inconsistencies in diagnostic/ascertainment procedures (sex-biased criteria, social camouflaging), diagnosed males may have exhibited more overt behaviors (e.g., hyperactivity, aggression) that prompted clinical evaluation. Applying a novel network-theory-based approach, we extracted data-driven, clinically-relevant insights from a large, well-characterized sample (Simons Simplex Collection) of 2175 autistic males (Ages = 8.9±3.5 years) and 334 autistic females (Ages = 9.2±3.7 years). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and expert clinical review reduced data dimensionality to 15 factors of interest. To offset inherent confounds of an imbalanced sample, we identified a subset of males (N=331) matched to females on key variables (Age, IQ) and applied data-driven CDA using Greedy Fast Causal Inference (GFCI) for three groups (All Females, All Males, and Matched Males). Structural equation modeling (SEM) extracted measures of model fit and effect sizes for causal relationships between sex, age, and, IQ on EFA-selected factors capturing phenotypic representations of autism across sensory, social, and restricted and repetitive behavior domains. Our methodology unveiled sex-specific directional relationships to inform developmental outcomes and targeted interventions.

Neurocognitive and cerebellar function in ADHD, autism and spinocerebellar ataxia

The cerebellum plays a major role in balance, motor control and sensorimotor integration, but also in cognition, language, and emotional regulation. Several neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as neurological diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) are associated with differences in cerebellar function. Morphological abnormalities in different cerebellar subregions produce distinct behavioral symptoms related to the functional disruption of specific cerebro-cerebellar circuits. The specific contribution of the cerebellum to typical development may therefore involve the optimization of the structure and function of cerebro-cerebellar circuits underlying skill acquisition in multiple domains. Here, we review cerebellar structural and functional differences between healthy and patients with ADHD, ASD, and SCA3, and explore how disruption of cerebellar networks affects the neurocognitive functions in these conditions. We discuss how cerebellar computations contribute to performance on cognitive and motor tasks and how cerebellar signals are interfaced with signals from other brain regions during normal and dysfunctional behavior. We conclude that the cerebellum plays a role in many cognitive functions. Still, more clinical studies with the support of neuroimaging are needed to clarify the cerebellum's role in normal and dysfunctional behavior and cognitive functioning.

Efficacy of Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders through a Combination of Developmental Surveillance

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the clinical value of Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016 (CNBS-R2016) for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening in the presence of developmental surveillance.

METHODS

All participants were evaluated by the CNBS-R2016 and Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS). Spearman's correlation coefficients and Kappa values were obtained. Taking GDS as a reference assessment, the performance of the CNBS-R2016 for detecting the developmental delays of children with ASD was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The efficacy of the CNBS-R2016 to screen for ASD was explored by comparing Communication Warning Behavior with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2).

RESULTS

In total, 150 children aged 12-42 months with ASD were enrolled. The developmental quotients of the CNBS-R2016 were correlated with those of the GDS (r=0.62-0.94). The CNBS-R2016 and GDS had good diagnostic agreement for developmental delays (Kappa=0.73-0.89), except for Fine Motor. There was a significant difference between the proportions of Fine Motor, delays detected by the CNBS-R2016 and GDS (86.0% vs. 77.3%). With GDS as a standard, the areas under the ROC curves of the CNBS-R2016 were above 0.95 for all the domains except Fine Motor, which was 0.70. In addition, the positive rate of ASD was 100.0% and 93.5% when the cut-off points of 7 and 12 in the Communication Warning Behavior subscale were used, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The CNBS-R2016 performed well in developmental assessment and screening for children with ASD, especially by Communication Warning Behaviors subscale. Therefore, the CNBS-R2016 is worthy of clinical application in children with ASD in China.

Prefrontal Functional Connectivities in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Connectopathic Disorder Affecting Movement, Interoception, and Cognition

The prefrontal cortex is included in a neuronal system that includes the basal ganglia, the thalamus, and the cerebellum. Most of the higher and more complex motor, cognitive, and emotional behavioral functions are thought to be found primarily in the frontal lobes. Insufficient connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other regions of the brain that are distant from each other involved in top-down information processing rely on the global integration of data from multiple input sources and enhance low level perception processes (bottom-up information processing). The reduced deactivation in mPFC and in the rest of the Default Network during global task processing is consistent with the integrative modulatory role served by the mPFC. We stress the importance of understanding the degree to which sensory and movement anomalies in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can contribute to social impairment. Further investigation on the neurobiological basis of sensory symptoms and its relationship to other clinical features found in ASD is required Treatment perhaps should not be first behaviorally based but rather based on facilitating sensory motor development.

A convergent structure-function substrate of cognitive imbalances in autism

BACKGROUND

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental diagnosis showing substantial phenotypic heterogeneity. A leading example can be found in verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills, which vary from elevated to impaired compared with neurotypical individuals. Moreover, deficits in verbal profiles often coexist with normal or superior performance in the nonverbal domain.

METHODS

To study brain substrates underlying cognitive imbalance in ASD, we capitalized categorical and dimensional IQ profiling as well as multimodal neuroimaging.

RESULTS

IQ analyses revealed a marked verbal to nonverbal IQ imbalance in ASD across 2 datasets (Dataset-1: 155 ASD, 151 controls; Dataset-2: 270 ASD, 490 controls). Neuroimaging analysis in Dataset-1 revealed a structure-function substrate of cognitive imbalance, characterized by atypical cortical thickening and altered functional integration of language networks alongside sensory and higher cognitive areas.

CONCLUSION

Although verbal and nonverbal intelligence have been considered as specifiers unrelated to autism diagnosis, our results indicate that intelligence disparities are accentuated in ASD and reflected by a consistent structure-function substrate affecting multiple brain networks. Our findings motivate the incorporation of cognitive imbalances in future autism research, which may help to parse the phenotypic heterogeneity and inform intervention-oriented subtyping in ASD.

Taking Sides: Asymmetries in the Evolution of Human Brain Development in Better Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

Confirmation from structural, functional, and behavioral studies agree and suggest a configuration of atypical lateralization in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). It is suggested that patterns of cortical and behavioral atypicality are evident in individuals with ASDs with atypical lateralization being common in individuals with ASDs. The paper endeavors to better understand the relationship between alterations in typical cortical asymmetries and functional lateralization in ASD in evolutionary terms. We have proposed that both early genetic and/or environmental influences can alter the developmental process of cortical lateralization. There invariably is a “chicken or egg” issue that arises whether atypical cortical anatomy associated with abnormal function, or alternatively whether functional atypicality generates abnormal structure.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and IQ - A Complex Interplay

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized as a very heterogeneous child-onset disorder, whose heterogeneity is partly determined by differences in intelligence quotient (IQ). Older epidemiological studies suggested that the IQ-related spectrum tends to be skewed to the left, i.e., a larger proportion of individuals with ASD have below average intelligence, while only few individuals with ASD may have an IQ above average. This picture changed over time with broadening the spectrum view. Within the present perspective article, we discuss discrepancies in IQ profiles between epidemiological and clinical studies and identify potential underlying aspects, for example, the influence of external factors such as sample biases or differences in availability of autism health services. Additionally, we discuss the validity and reciprocal influences of ASD diagnostics and IQ measurement. We put the impact of these factors for diagnostic as well as care and support situations of patients into perspective and want to encourage further research to contribute to the conceptualization of "autism" more comprehensively including the IQ as well as to examine broader (life) circumstances, interacting factors and diagnostic requirements of given diagnoses in childhood as compared to adulthood.

Variables Associated With Successful Treatment Outcomes of Autistic Youth Enrolled in PEERS

This study sought to examine how certain variables of autistic youth who completed a formal social intervention program (PEERS) predicted social skill improvement post intervention. Specifically, this research aimed to determine if age, gender, emotional intelligence, intellectual ability, and/or autism symptomatology predicted social skill outcomes. Using extant data from parent and self-report batteries, change scores and multiple regressions were employed to examine which variables accounted for social skill improvement. Only intellectual ability (FSIQ), specifically perceptual reasoning, significantly predicted social skill outcomes based upon teen self-report, suggesting that autistic youth with specific cognitive profiles may be benefit more from PEERS. This research also exemplifies the heterogeneous nature of autism symptomology and the continued need for research examining social skill interventions. Limitations and future directions are discussed.