Parental age and autism severity in the Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment (RI-CART) study

Perinatal and Demographic Risk Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A National Survey of Potential Predictors and Severity

INTRODUCTION: This study investigates autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Greece, focusing on estimating prevalence and identifying regional disparities in children aged 4 to 7 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Utilizing a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory methodology, the research employed a structured questionnaire to gather extensive maternal and child health data. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 517 mothers of children diagnosed with ASD from all over Greece, contributing to a nuanced understanding of ASD predictors. This study aims to elucidate the role of prenatal factors in the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis and their impact on the subsequent functionality of children with ASD. The study identified significant predictors of lower functionality in children with ASD, including higher maternal age, delayed ASD diagnosis, lower family income, and higher birth order. Prenatal health issues, such as vaginal bleeding and infections, also influenced functional outcomes. Notably, a family history of neurological or psychiatric conditions appeared protective. DISCUSSION: The regression model demonstrated robust predictive power, underscoring the complexity of genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors in ASD development. The findings advocate for early diagnosis and intervention, systematic screening, and addressing socioeconomic disparities to improve functional outcomes. The results support evidence-based service development and policy adjustments to enhance early identification, intervention, and rehabilitation for children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing standardized case-recording procedures and an ASD register at national and regional levels is recommended for systematic monitoring and resource evaluation.

Association between maternal age and sex-based neonatal free triiodothyronine levels

BACKGROUND

Advanced maternal age may affect the intrauterine environment and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. Thyroid hormones are critical for fetal neurological development but whether maternal age influences fetal thyroid hormone levels in euthyroid mothers is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the association between cord blood thyroid hormones and maternal age, fetal sex, maternal thyroid function, and other perinatal factors.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 203 healthy women with term singleton pregnancies who underwent elective cesarean section. Maternal levels of free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4) and TSH before delivery, and cord levels of fT3, fT4 and TSH were measured. Spearman's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the correlation between cord thyroid hormone parameters and maternal characteristics.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in maternal serum or cord blood thyroid hormone levels between male and female births. In multivariate linear regression analysis, maternal age and maternal TSH values were negatively associated with the cord blood levels of fT3 in all births, after adjusting for confounding factors. Maternal age was more closely associated with the cord blood levels of fT3 in female than in male births.

CONCLUSION

The inverse association between maternal age and cord blood levels of fT3 in euthyroid pregnant women suggested an impact of maternal aging on offspring thyroid function.

Brain functional connectivity alterations of Wernicke's area in individuals with autism spectrum conditions in multi-frequency bands: A mega-analysis

Characterized by severe deficits in communication, most individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) experience significant language dysfunctions, thereby impacting their overall quality of life. Wernicke's area, a classical and traditional brain region associated with language processing, plays a substantial role in the manifestation of language impairments. The current study carried out a mega-analysis to attain a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning ASC, particularly in the context of language processing. The study employed the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset, which encompasses data from 443 typically developing (TD) individuals and 362 individuals with ASC. The objective was to detect abnormal functional connectivity (FC) between Wernicke's area and other language-related functional regions, and identify frequency-specific altered FC using Wernicke's area as the seed region in ASC. The findings revealed that increased FC in individuals with ASC has frequency-specific characteristics. Further, in the conventional frequency band (0.01-0.08 Hz), individuals with ASC exhibited increased FC between Wernicke's area and the right thalamus compared with TD individuals. In the slow-5 frequency band (0.01-0.027 Hz), increased FC values were observed in the left cerebellum Crus II and the right lenticular nucleus, pallidum. These results provide novel insights into the potential neural mechanisms underlying communication deficits in ASC from the perspective of language impairments.