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Huda E, Hawker P, Cibralic S, John JR, Hussain A, Diaz AM, Eapen V. Screening tools for autism in culturally and linguistically diverse paediatric populations: a systematic review. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:610. [PMID: 39342198 PMCID: PMC11437884 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-05067-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has varying prevalence rates worldwide, often higher in culturally diverse populations. Cultural differences can affect autism symptom recognition. Language barriers and differing healthcare attitudes may delay diagnosis and intervention. Most autism screening tools were developed in Western, predominantly Caucasian populations, and their appropriateness in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) contexts remains uncertain. There is a lack of comprehensive data on the accuracy of these tools in identifying autism in culturally and linguistically diverse groups. Consequently, it is unclear whether current screening tools are culturally sensitive and appropriate. METHODS A research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022367308). A comprehensive search of literature published from inception to October 2022 was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Medline Complete, Scopus, PsychInfo and CINAHL Complete. The articles were screened using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extracted included participant demographics, screening tool psychometric properties (validity, reliability, accuracy) and acceptability. A narrative synthesis approach was used. RESULTS From the initial retrieval of 2310 citations, 51 articles were included for analysis. The studies were conducted in 32 different countries with screening tools in the following languages: Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, Serbian, Italian, French, Sinhala, Taiwanese, Finnish, Northern Soho, Albanian, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, Farsi, Greek and English. There was no data on acceptability of the screening tools in CALD populations. Validity, reliability, and accuracy ranged from poor to excellent with consistently high performance by screening tools devised within the populations they are intended for. CONCLUSIONS The review evaluated autism screening tools in culturally diverse populations, with a focus on validity, reliability, and acceptability. It highlighted variations in the effectiveness of these tools across different cultures, with high performance by tools devised specifically for the intended population, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive screening tools. Further research is needed to improve culturally specific, reliable autism screening tools for equitable assessment and intervention in diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmee Huda
- Department of General Paediatrics, Queensland Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia
| | - Patrick Hawker
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
| | - Sara Cibralic
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - James Rufus John
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Aniqa Hussain
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Antonio Mendoza Diaz
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Tasmanian Centre for Mental Health Service Innovation, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia.
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia.
- ICAMHS, L1 MHC,, Liverpool Hospital, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2170, Australia.
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Hardiansyah I, Warreyn P, Ronald A, Taylor MJ, Falck-Ytter T. Parent-child interaction at age 5 months: genetic and environmental contributions and associations with later socio-communicative development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 39260443 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characteristics of parent-child interaction (PCI) early in life have been associated with later development in the child. Twin studies can help to disentangle child contributions to parent-child interaction, for example, by assessing the influence of the child's genetics on his/her social environment, which includes parental behaviour. METHODS Infant twins from a community sample [354 monozygotic (MZ), 268 same-sex dizygotic (DZ)] were assessed in terms of PCI at age 5 months. We used the classical twin design to map the aetiology of several parent and child PCI scales and their covariation. We investigated the relations between PCI and later parent-rated child's social communication, language, and autistic traits at ages 2 and 3. RESULTS Heritability was below 20% for all the included PCI traits. Unique (nonshared) environmental influences substantially overlapped across several PCI scales, suggesting that idiosyncrasies linked to each session shaped the scoring of several traits in a systematic way. Factor analysis revealed three uncorrelated latent factors, which were conceptualized as 'child negative affect', 'positive affective interaction', and 'parent's supportive strategies'. Parents who were rated highly on 'sensitive responsiveness' at 5 months tended to rate their offspring higher in terms of socio-communicative and language development and lower in terms of autistic traits in the second and third years of life. CONCLUSIONS This study maps the phenotypic and aetiological structure of PCI in early infancy and supports the view that parents' sensitive responsiveness towards their infant is associated with later developmental gains in several domains. We did not find strong evidence of any so-called evocative genetic effects on parents' behaviour. We discuss the results considering the general challenge for lab-based observational PCI measures to capture the richness of parent-child interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irzam Hardiansyah
- Department of Womens' and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petra Warreyn
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Angelica Ronald
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Department of Womens' and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gatica-Bahamonde G, Mendez-Fadol A, Sánchez-Sepúlveda F, Peñailillo-Diaz C, van Kessel R, Czabanowska K, Roman-Urrestarazu A. Testing an online screening for autism in the COVID-19 pandemic: a psychometric study of the Q-CHAT-24 in Chilean toddlers. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1363976. [PMID: 38952633 PMCID: PMC11215167 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1363976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to examine some psychometric characteristics of the Chilean-adapted version of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT-24) (24) in a group of unselected children (community sample). This version was administered remotely through an online version during the pandemic period to caregivers of children, aged 18-24 months, registered in four primary care polyclinics of the Health Service Araucanía Sur, Chile. Methods An intentional non-probabilistic sampling was used. Three hundred and thirteen toddlers were examined. Participants completed an online version of the Q-CHAT-24 which was disseminated through the REDCap platform. Evidence of reliability through internal consistency and evidence of predictive validity through ROC curve analysis were realized. Results The mean age of the children evaluated was 21.16 months. The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that Q-CHAT-24 scores was normally distributed. 71 cases (23.12%) scored 38 points or more on the Q-CHAT-24, qualifying as Autistic Risk. 48 cases (15.63%) were confirmed as autistic through the ADOS-2 Module T. All items were positively correlated with Q-CHAT-24 total score. All items were positively correlated with Q-CHAT-24 total score. Internal consistency was acceptable for the Q-CHAT-24 (Cronbach ´s α=0.78). The internal consistencies were analyzed for the Q-CHAT-24 Factors, and they were good for factor 1 "Communication and Social Interaction" (Cronbach ´s α=0.85) and acceptable for factor 2 "Restrictive and Repetitive Patterns" (Cronbach ´s α=0.74). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. The AUC values were 0.93 with statistical significance (p<0.01). For the cut-off point of 38, the Sensitivity, Specificity and Youden index values were 0.89, 0.8 and 0.7, respectively. The Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was 86% and the Negative Predictive Value (NPV) was 85%. Conclusions In accordance with the objectives of this study, evidence of reliability and predictive validity was demonstrated for the Q-CHAT-24 in this Chilean population. More importantly, this study provides Sensitivity and Specificity data for a remote application version of an autism screening tool already validated in Chile. The implications of this have to do with the possibility of establishing a remote assessment system for children at risk of autism on a population scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Gatica-Bahamonde
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Sección de Psiquiatría del Niño y del Adolescente, División de Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Mental Health, Policy and Economics Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Tremün Lab, Corporación Tremün, Villarrica, Chile
| | - Alejandra Mendez-Fadol
- Tremün Lab, Corporación Tremün, Villarrica, Chile
- Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | | | | | - Robin van Kessel
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Mental Health, Policy and Economics Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- LSE Health, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Czabanowska
- Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Andres Roman-Urrestarazu
- Mental Health, Policy and Economics Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Tremün Lab, Corporación Tremün, Villarrica, Chile
- Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Sun H, Mehta S, Khaitova M, Cheng B, Hao X, Spann M, Scheinost D. Brain age prediction and deviations from normative trajectories in the neonatal connectome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590811. [PMID: 38712238 PMCID: PMC11071351 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Structural and functional connectomes undergo rapid changes during the third trimester and the first month of postnatal life. Despite progress, our understanding of the developmental trajectories of the connectome in the perinatal period remains incomplete. Brain age prediction uses machine learning to estimate the brain's maturity relative to normative data. The difference between the individual's predicted and chronological age-or brain age gap (BAG)-represents the deviation from these normative trajectories. Here, we assess brain age prediction and BAGs using structural and functional connectomes for infants in the first month of life. We used resting-state fMRI and DTI data from 611 infants (174 preterm; 437 term) from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) and connectome-based predictive modeling to predict postmenstrual age (PMA). Structural and functional connectomes accurately predicted PMA for term and preterm infants. Predicted ages from each modality were correlated. At the network level, nearly all canonical brain networks-even putatively later developing ones-generated accurate PMA prediction. Additionally, BAGs were associated with perinatal exposures and toddler behavioral outcomes. Overall, our results underscore the importance of normative modeling and deviations from these models during the perinatal period.
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Gale-Grant O, Chew A, Falconer S, França LGS, Fenn-Moltu S, Hadaya L, Harper N, Ciarrusta J, Charman T, Murphy D, Arichi T, McAlonan G, Nosarti C, Edwards AD, Batalle D. Clinical, socio-demographic, and parental correlates of early autism traits in a community cohort of toddlers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8393. [PMID: 38600134 PMCID: PMC11006842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58907-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying factors linked to autism traits in the general population may improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying divergent neurodevelopment. In this study we assess whether factors increasing the likelihood of childhood autism are related to early autistic trait emergence, or if other exposures are more important. We used data from 536 toddlers from London (UK), collected at birth (gestational age at birth, sex, maternal body mass index, age, parental education, parental language, parental history of neurodevelopmental conditions) and at 18 months (parents cohabiting, measures of socio-economic deprivation, measures of maternal parenting style, and a measure of maternal depression). Autism traits were assessed using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) at 18 months. A multivariable model explained 20% of Q-CHAT variance, with four individually significant variables (two measures of parenting style and two measures of socio-economic deprivation). In order to address variable collinearity we used principal component analysis, finding that a component which was positively correlated with Q-CHAT was also correlated to measures of parenting style and socio-economic deprivation. Our results show that parenting style and socio-economic deprivation correlate with the emergence of autism traits at age 18 months as measured with the Q-CHAT in a community sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Gale-Grant
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucas G S França
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas Harper
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Judit Ciarrusta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
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Kromm GH, Patankar H, Nagalotimath S, Wong H, Austin T. Socioemotional and Psychological Outcomes of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023063399. [PMID: 38440801 PMCID: PMC10979301 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-063399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Therapeutic hypothermia has reduced the risk of death or major disability following perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE); however, many children who experience perinatal HIE still go on to develop personal and behavioral challenges, which can be difficult for caregivers and a public health burden for society. Our objective with this review is to systematically identify and synthesize studies that evaluate associations between perinatal HIE and socioemotional or psychological outcomes. METHODS We screened all search-returned journal articles from Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from data inception through February 1, 2023. Keywords related to HIE (eg, neonatal encephalopathy, neonatal brain injury) and outcomes (eg, social*, emotion*, behav* problem, psycholog*, psychiatr*) were searched with a predefined search string. We included all observational human studies reporting socioemotional or psychological sequelae of term HIE. Study data were recorded on standardized sheets, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was adapted to assess study quality. RESULTS We included 43 studies documenting 3244 HIE participants and 2132 comparison participants. We found statistically significant associations between HIE and social and emotional, behavioral, and psychological and psychiatric deficits throughout infancy, childhood, and adolescence (19 studies). The authors of the included studies also report nonsignificant findings (11 studies) and outcomes without statistical comparison (25 studies). CONCLUSIONS Perinatal HIE may be a risk factor for a range of socioemotional and psychological challenges in the short- and long-term. Routine screening, early intervention, and follow-up support may be particularly beneficial to this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hilary Wong
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- NICU, Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Topun Austin
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- NICU, Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Carter SA, Lin JC, Chow T, Martinez MP, Alves JM, Feldman KR, Qiu C, Page KA, McConnell R, Xiang AH. Maternal obesity and diabetes during pregnancy and early autism screening score at well-child visits in standard clinical practice. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:975-984. [PMID: 37646431 PMCID: PMC10902177 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231188876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Early intervention and treatment can help reduce disability in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Screening for autism spectrum disorder in young children identifies those at increased likelihood of diagnosis who may need further support. Previous research has reported that exposure to maternal obesity and diabetes during pregnancy is associated with higher likelihood of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in children. However, little is known about whether these maternal conditions are associated with how very young children score on autism spectrum disorder screening tools. This study examined associations between exposure to maternal obesity and diabetes during pregnancy and offspring scores on the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, an autism spectrum disorder screening questionnaire administered between 18-24 months at well-child visits. A higher score on the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers suggests a higher likelihood of autism spectrum disorder; children with scores 3 or greater are referred to developmental pediatricians for evaluation. Our study found that children of mothers with obesity or diabetes during pregnancy had higher scores than children whose mothers did not have these conditions. Associations with maternal obesity and gestational diabetes diagnosed at or before 26 weeks of pregnancy were also present in children who did not have later autism spectrum disorder diagnoses, suggesting that exposure to these conditions during early pregnancy may be associated with a broad range of social and behavioral abilities. Identifying associations between maternal health conditions and early Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers screening scores could influence future screening and provision of support for children of mothers with these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Carter
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Jane C. Lin
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Ting Chow
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Mayra P. Martinez
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Jasmin M. Alves
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Klara R. Feldman
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Baldwin Park, CA
| | - Chunyuan Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Baldwin Park, CA
| | - Kathleen A. Page
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anny H. Xiang
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA
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Quesada-Zeljkovic M, Campos R, Nieto C. Observation of Early Social Interactions in Sibling Dyads: A Systematic Review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2024; 27:53-73. [PMID: 38043094 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00461-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Sibling relationships provide unique social experiences that can vary across the lifespan. Early sibling social interactions (ESSI) have been associated with children's own relationship and developmental outcomes, highlighting the essential role that sibling encounters play, even from a young age. Understanding how these social exchanges occur and unfold and the range of opportunities they provide can shed light on critical aspects of early childhood development and family life. However, the methodological approach used in studying ESSI can influence our understanding of these early experiences. This systematic review aims to delineate the methodological framework adopted in observational studies of ESSI. Through a systematic search of psychology and domain-general databases until March 2023, we focused on studies that addressed bidirectional naturalistic interactions in young sibling dyads (at least one child aged 0-36 months). Of the 713 articles screened, only 63 met the inclusion criteria. Findings regarding three main issues are examined, including sample characteristics, study designs and procedures, and sibling interactive behaviours targeted. Previous research has focused on a diverse range of sibling behavioral exchanges, including cues of children's social skills and relationship quality within mainly ecological contexts. However, limitations in representativeness and standardization have been identified. Future studies should incorporate sequential analyses to fully comprehend the interactive nature of early sibling social encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth Campos
- Autonomous University of Madrid, Iván Pavlov, 6, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Nieto
- Autonomous University of Madrid, Iván Pavlov, 6, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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Aydin E, Tsompanidis A, Chaplin D, Hawkes R, Allison C, Hackett G, Austin T, Padaigaitė E, Gabis LV, Sucking J, Holt R, Baron-Cohen S. Fetal brain growth and infant autistic traits. Mol Autism 2024; 15:11. [PMID: 38419120 PMCID: PMC10900793 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00586-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural differences exist in the brains of autistic individuals. To date only a few studies have explored the relationship between fetal brain growth and later infant autistic traits, and some have used fetal head circumference (HC) as a proxy for brain development. These findings have been inconsistent. Here we investigate whether fetal subregional brain measurements correlate with autistic traits in toddlers. METHODS A total of 219 singleton pregnancies (104 males and 115 females) were recruited at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, UK. 2D ultrasound was performed at 12-, 20- and between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy, measuring head circumference (HC), ventricular atrium (VA) and transcerebellar diameter (TCD). A total of 179 infants were followed up at 18-20 months of age and completed the quantitative checklist for autism in toddlers (Q-CHAT) to measure autistic traits. RESULTS Q-CHAT scores at 18-20 months of age were positively associated with TCD size at 20 weeks and with HC at 28 weeks, in univariate analyses, and in multiple regression models which controlled for sex, maternal age and birth weight. LIMITATIONS Due to the nature and location of the study, ascertainment bias could also have contributed to the recruitment of volunteer mothers with a higher than typical range of autistic traits and/or with a significant interest in the neurodevelopment of their children. CONCLUSION Prenatal brain growth is associated with toddler autistic traits and this can be ascertained via ultrasound starting at 20 weeks gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daren Chaplin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rebecca Hawkes
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerald Hackett
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Topun Austin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eglė Padaigaitė
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lidia V Gabis
- Tel Aviv University, Wolfson Hospital and Maccabi healthcare, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John Sucking
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Viktorsson C, Portugal AM, Falck-Ytter T. Genetic and environmental contributions to gaze lateralization across social and non-social stimuli in human infants. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3668. [PMID: 38351309 PMCID: PMC10864339 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54373-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
A tendency to look at the left side of faces from the observer's point of view has been found in older children and adults, but it is not known when this face-specific left gaze bias develops and what factors may influence individual differences in gaze lateralization. Therefore, the aims of this study were to estimate gaze lateralization during face observation and to more broadly estimate lateralization tendencies across a wider set of social and non-social stimuli, in early infancy. In addition, we aimed to estimate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on lateralization of gaze. We studied gaze lateralization in 592 5-month-old twins (282 females, 330 monozygotic twins) by recording their gaze while viewing faces and two other types of stimuli that consisted of either collections of dots (non-social stimuli) or faces interspersed with objects (mixed stimuli). A right gaze bias was found when viewing faces, and this measure was moderately heritable (A = 0.38, 95% CI 0.24; 0.50). A left gaze bias was observed in the non-social condition, while a right gaze bias was found in the mixed condition, suggesting that there is no general left gaze bias at this age. Genetic influence on individual differences in gaze lateralization was only found for the tendency to look at the right versus left side of faces, suggesting genetic specificity of lateralized gaze when viewing faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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França LGS, Ciarrusta J, Gale-Grant O, Fenn-Moltu S, Fitzgibbon S, Chew A, Falconer S, Dimitrova R, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Hughes E, O'Muircheartaigh J, Duff E, Tuulari JJ, Deco G, Counsell SJ, Hajnal JV, Nosarti C, Arichi T, Edwards AD, McAlonan G, Batalle D. Neonatal brain dynamic functional connectivity in term and preterm infants and its association with early childhood neurodevelopment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:16. [PMID: 38331941 PMCID: PMC10853532 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain dynamic functional connectivity characterises transient connections between brain regions. Features of brain dynamics have been linked to emotion and cognition in adult individuals, and atypical patterns have been associated with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. Although reliable functional brain networks have been consistently identified in neonates, little is known about the early development of dynamic functional connectivity. In this study we characterise dynamic functional connectivity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the first few weeks of postnatal life in term-born (n = 324) and preterm-born (n = 66) individuals. We show that a dynamic landscape of brain connectivity is already established by the time of birth in the human brain, characterised by six transient states of neonatal functional connectivity with changing dynamics through the neonatal period. The pattern of dynamic connectivity is atypical in preterm-born infants, and associated with atypical social, sensory, and repetitive behaviours measured by the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores at 18 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G S França
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Judit Ciarrusta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sean Fitzgibbon
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Eugene Duff
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Jetro J Tuulari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, 20500, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science and Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, 20500, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
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12
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Sari NP, Tsompanidis A, Wahab RJ, Gaillard R, Aydin E, Holt R, Allison C, Baron-Cohen S, van IJzendoorn MH, Jansen PW. Is the association between mothers' autistic traits and childhood autistic traits moderated by maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index? Mol Autism 2023; 14:46. [PMID: 38066561 PMCID: PMC10709910 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00578-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies showed that there is a positive association between mothers' and children's autistic traits. We also tested if this association is more pronounced in mothers with a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). METHOD The study was embedded in two cohorts with information available for 4,659 participants from the Generation R and for 179 participants from the Cambridge Ultrasound Siblings and Parents Project (CUSP) cohort. In both cohorts, maternal autistic traits were assessed using the short form of the Autism Spectrum Quotient, and information about maternal height and weight before pregnancy was obtained by questionnaire. Child autistic traits were assessed with the short form of Social Responsiveness Scale in Generation R (M = 13.5 years) and with the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) in the CUSP cohort (M = 1.6 years). RESULT Higher maternal autistic traits were associated with higher autistic traits in toddlerhood (CUSP cohort; βadjusted = 0.20, p < 0.01), in early childhood (Generation R; βadjusted = 0.19, p < 0.01), and in early adolescence (Generation R; βadjusted = 0.16, p < 0.01). Furthermore, a higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with higher child autistic traits, but only in Generation R (βadjusted = 0.03, p < 0.01). There was no significant moderating effect of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI on the association between autistic traits of mothers and children, neither in Generation R nor in CUSP. In addition, child autistic traits scores were significantly higher in mothers who were underweight and in mothers who were overweight compared to mothers with a healthy weight. CONCLUSION We confirm the association between maternal and child autistic traits in toddlerhood, early childhood, and early adolescence. Potential interacting neurobiological processes remain to be confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Novika Purnama Sari
- Department Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexandros Tsompanidis
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Rama J Wahab
- Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Romy Gaillard
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pauline W Jansen
- Department Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Eldeeb SY, Ludwig NN, Wieckowski AT, Dieckhaus MFS, Algur Y, Ryan V, Dufek S, Stahmer A, Robins DL. Sex differences in early autism screening using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F). AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:2112-2123. [PMID: 36786236 PMCID: PMC10423742 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231154728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT This study examined a widely used autism screening tool, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up to identify differences in screening for autism between toddler males and females. Examining sex differences in screening for autism in toddlerhood is important as it determines who will be referred for evaluations and receive diagnoses, which is critical for access to autism-specific early intervention. This study found that females were less likely to screen positive and be invited for evaluations compared with males. Females at high likelihood for autism were less likely to be diagnosed with autism, which decreases confidence in the screener's results. Importantly, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up accurately identified both males and females with autism. Future research should examine ways to improve accuracy in screening results for females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natasha N. Ludwig
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | | | | - Yasemin Algur
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Victoria Ryan
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sarah Dufek
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, CA
| | - Aubyn Stahmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, CA
| | - Diana L. Robins
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
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14
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Abdelhamid N, Thind R, Mohammad H, Thabtah F. Assessing Autistic Traits in Toddlers Using a Data-Driven Approach with DSM-5 Mapping. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1131. [PMID: 37892861 PMCID: PMC10604105 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that characterises a range of people, from individuals who are not able to speak to others who have good verbal communications. The disorder affects the way people see, think, and behave, including their communications and social interactions. Identifying autistic traits, preferably in the early stages, is fundamental for clinicians in expediting referrals, and hence enabling patients to access to required healthcare services. This article investigates various ASD behavioral features in toddlers and proposes a data process using machine-learning techniques. The aims of this study were to identify early behavioral features that can help detect ASD in toddlers and to map these features to the neurodevelopment behavioral areas of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). To achieve these aims, the proposed data process assesses several behavioral features using feature selection techniques, then constructs a classification model based on the chosen features. The empirical results show that during the screening process of toddlers, cognitive features related to communications, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors were most relevant to ASD. For the machine-learning algorithms, the predictive accuracy of Bayesian network (Bayes Net) and logistic regression (LR) models derived from ASD behavioral data subsets were consistent pinpointing to the suitability of ML techniques in predicting ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Abdelhamid
- Abu Dhabi School of Management, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 6844, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rajdeep Thind
- Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland 2023, New Zealand
| | - Heba Mohammad
- Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 25026, United Arab Emirates
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15
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Cleary DB, Maybery MT, Green C, Whitehouse AJO. The first six months of life: A systematic review of early markers associated with later autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105304. [PMID: 37406749 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
There is now good evidence that behavioural signs of autism spectrum conditions (autism) emerge over the first two years of life. Identifying clear developmental differences early in life may facilitate earlier identification and intervention that can promote longer-term quality of life. Here we present a systematic review of studies investigating behavioural markers of later autism diagnosis or symptomology taken at 0-6 months. The following databases were searched for articles published between 01/01/2000 and 15/03/2022: Embase, Medline, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and Proquest. Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria: assessment of behaviour at 0-6 months and later assessment of autism symptomology or diagnosis. Studies examined behaviours of attention, early social and communication behaviours, and motor behaviours, as well as composite measures. Findings indicated some evidence of measures of general attention, attention to social stimuli, and motor behaviours associated with later autism diagnosis or symptomology. Findings were inconsistent regarding social and communication behaviours, with a lack of repeated or validated measures limiting drawing firm conclusions. We discuss implications of the findings and suggest recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique B Cleary
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Murray T Maybery
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Australia
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16
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Barbaro J, Winata T, Gilbert M, Nair R, Khan F, Lucien A, Islam R, Masi A, Diaz AM, Dissanayake C, Karlov L, Descallar J, Eastwood J, Hasan I, Jalaludin B, Kohlhoff J, Liaw ST, Lingam R, Ong N, Tam CWM, Woolfenden S, Eapen V. General practitioners' perspectives regarding early developmental surveillance for autism within the australian primary healthcare setting: a qualitative study. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2023; 24:159. [PMID: 37563549 PMCID: PMC10416397 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-023-02121-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Significant challenges remain in the early identification of child developmental disabilities in the community. Implementing supports and services early in the life course has been shown to promote positive developmental outcomes for children at high likelihood of developmental disabilities, including autism. As part of a cluster randomised controlled trial, this study seeks to examine and compare the perspectives and experiences of Australian general practitioners (GPs) in relation to a digital developmental surveillance program for autism and usual care pathway, in general practice clinics. METHODS A qualitative research methodology with semi-structured interviews and thematic inductive analysis underpinned by grounded theory was utilised. All GPs from South Western Sydney (NSW) and Melbourne (Victoria) who participated in the main program ("GP Surveillance for Autism") were invited to the interview. GPs who provided consent were interviewed either over online or in-person meeting. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using NVivo12 software. Inductive interpretive approach was adopted and data were analysed thematically. RESULTS Twenty-three GPs across the two sites (NSW: n = 11; Victoria: n = 12) agreed to be interviewed; data saturation had reached following this number of participants. Inductive thematic coding and analysis yielded eight major themes and highlighted common enablers such as the role of GPs in early identification and subsequent supports, enhanced communication between clinicians/professionals, relationship-building with patients, and having standardised screening tools. Specific facilitators to the feasibility and acceptability of a digital screening program for the early identification of developmental disabilities, including the early signs of autism, and encouraging research and education for GPs. However, several practical and socioeconomic barriers were identified, in addition to limited knowledge and uptake of child developmental screening tools as well as COVID-19 lockdown impacts. Common and specific recommendations involve supporting GPs in developmental/paediatrics training, streamlined screening process, and funding and resources in the primary healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS The study highlighted the need for practice and policy changes, including further training of GPs alongside sufficient time to complete developmental checks and appropriate financial remuneration through a Medicare billing item. Further research is needed on implementation and scale up of a national surveillance program for early identification of developmental disabilities, including autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Barbaro
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Teresa Winata
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Melissa Gilbert
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Radhika Nair
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Feroza Khan
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abbie Lucien
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Raisa Islam
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anne Masi
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Antonio Mendoza Diaz
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Cheryl Dissanayake
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joseph Descallar
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - John Eastwood
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Iqbal Hasan
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jane Kohlhoff
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Siaw-Teng Liaw
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Raghu Lingam
- Population Child Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Natalie Ong
- Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chun Wah Michael Tam
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Primary and Integrated Care Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Sue Woolfenden
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Population Child Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia.
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
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17
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Lyall K. What are quantitative traits and how can they be used in autism research? Autism Res 2023; 16:1289-1298. [PMID: 37212172 PMCID: PMC10524676 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative traits are measurable characteristics distributed along a continuous scale thought to relate to underlying biology. There is growing interest in the use of quantitative traits in behavioral and psychiatric research, particularly in research on conditions diagnosed based on reports of behaviors, including autism. This brief commentary describes quantitative traits, including defining what they are, how we can measure them, and key considerations for their use in autism research. Examples of measures include behavioral report scales like the Social Responsiveness Scale and Broader Autism Phenotype Questionnaire, as well as biological measurements, like certain neuroimaging metrics; such measures can capture quantitative traits or constructs like the broader autism phenotype, social communication, and social cognition. Quantitative trait measures align with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach and can be used in autism research to help gain a better understanding of causal pathways and biological processes. They can also be used to aid identification of genetic and environmental factors involved in such pathways, and thereby lead to an understanding of influences on traits across the entire population. Finally, in some cases, they may be used to gauge treatment response, and assist screening and clinical characterization of phenotype. In addition, practical benefits of quantitative trait measures include improved statistical power relative to categorical classifications and (for some measures) efficiency. Ultimately, research across autism fields may benefit from incorporating quantitative trait measures as a complement to categorical diagnosis to advance understanding of autism and neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Lyall
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market St, Suite 560, Philadelphia PA 19104
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18
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Sim MA, Shen L, Ti LK, Sng BL, Broekman BFP, Daniel LM, Bong CL. Association between maternal labour epidural analgesia and autistic traits in offspring. J Clin Anesth 2023; 89:111162. [PMID: 37352658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2023.111162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE Studies investigating associations between maternal epidural analgesia (MEA) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring are conflicting and lack prospective neurobehavioral follow-up assessments for autistic traits. We aim to prospectively investigate associations between MEA and autistic traits in the offspring. DESIGN Prospective neurobehavioral observational cohort study. SETTING Singaporean tertiary healthcare institutions. PATIENTS Participants recruited were singleton non-IVF children, >36 weeks gestation, delivered via normal vaginal delivery by mothers >18 years of age, delivered in Singapore from June 2009-September 2010 and followed up over 7 years. INTERVENTIONS Exposure to maternal epidural analgesia during delivery. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome is an abnormal Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) T score at 7 years (≥60 points). Secondary outcomes include the diagnosis of ASD and abnormal scores for autistic traits assessed via a neurobehavioral battery comprising: CBCL (child behavioural checklist), Q-CHAT (Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), and Bayley-III. Multivariable analyses adjusting for maternal and offspring characteristics were performed. MAIN RESULTS 704 out of 769 mother-child dyads recruited fulfilled the criteria for analysis. 365/704 mothers received MEA. The incidence of an abnormal SRS score at 7 years in offspring exposed to MEA was 19.9%, and 26.1% in non-exposed offspring (p = 0.154). Multivariable analysis did not demonstrate a significant association between MEA and abnormal SRS scores at 7 years (O.R.0.726, 95% C·I. 0.394-1.34, p = 0.305). After adjustment for maternal and fetal demographics, exposure to MEA was not significantly associated with an abnormal screen in all other tests for autistic traits. The clinical incidence of ASD was 1.76% in children without exposure to MEA, and 2.32% in children with MEA exposure (p = 0.506). CONCLUSIONS MEA is not significantly associated with the development of ASD and autistic traits in offspring, assessed over 7 years. Results should be taken into perspective given our wide confidence intervals and small cohort size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ann Sim
- National University Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Singapore.
| | - Liang Shen
- Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lian Kah Ti
- National University Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Singapore; National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ban Leong Sng
- KKH Women and Children's Hospital, Department of Women's Anesthesia, Singapore
| | - Birit F P Broekman
- OLVG and Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Programme, the Netherlands
| | - Lourdes Mary Daniel
- KKH Women and Children's Hospital, Department of Child Development, Singapore
| | - Choon Looi Bong
- KKH Women and Children's Hospital, Department of Paediatric Anesthesia, Singapore.
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19
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More RP, Warrier V, Brunel H, Buckingham C, Smith P, Allison C, Holt R, Bradshaw CR, Baron-Cohen S. Identifying rare genetic variants in 21 highly multiplex autism families: the role of diagnosis and autistic traits. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2148-2157. [PMID: 36702863 PMCID: PMC10575770 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01938-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a highly heritable, heterogeneous, neurodevelopmental condition. Large-scale genetic studies, predominantly focussing on simplex families and clinical diagnoses of autism have identified hundreds of genes associated with autism. Yet, the contribution of these classes of genes to multiplex families and autistic traits still warrants investigation. Here, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 21 highly multiplex autism families, with at least three autistic individuals in each family, to prioritise genes associated with autism. Using a combination of both autistic traits and clinical diagnosis of autism, we identify rare variants in genes associated with autism, and related neurodevelopmental conditions in multiple families. We identify a modest excess of these variants in autistic individuals compared to individuals without an autism diagnosis. Finally, we identify a convergence of the genes identified in molecular pathways related to development and neurogenesis. In sum, our analysis provides initial evidence to demonstrate the value of integrating autism diagnosis and autistic traits to prioritise genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Prabhakar More
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Brunel
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Clara Buckingham
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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20
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Fenn-Moltu S, Fitzgibbon SP, Ciarrusta J, Eyre M, Cordero-Grande L, Chew A, Falconer S, Gale-Grant O, Harper N, Dimitrova R, Vecchiato K, Fenchel D, Javed A, Earl M, Price AN, Hughes E, Duff EP, O’Muircheartaigh J, Nosarti C, Arichi T, Rueckert D, Counsell S, Hajnal JV, Edwards AD, McAlonan G, Batalle D. Development of neonatal brain functional centrality and alterations associated with preterm birth. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5585-5596. [PMID: 36408638 PMCID: PMC10152096 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of the functional connectome in early life underpins future learning and behavior. However, our understanding of how the functional organization of brain regions into interconnected hubs (centrality) matures in the early postnatal period is limited, especially in response to factors associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes such as preterm birth. We characterized voxel-wise functional centrality (weighted degree) in 366 neonates from the Developing Human Connectome Project. We tested the hypothesis that functional centrality matures with age at scan in term-born babies and is disrupted by preterm birth. Finally, we asked whether neonatal functional centrality predicts general neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months. We report an age-related increase in functional centrality predominantly within visual regions and a decrease within the motor and auditory regions in term-born infants. Preterm-born infants scanned at term equivalent age had higher functional centrality predominantly within visual regions and lower measures in motor regions. Functional centrality was not related to outcome at 18 months old. Thus, preterm birth appears to affect functional centrality in regions undergoing substantial development during the perinatal period. Our work raises the question of whether these alterations are adaptive or disruptive and whether they predict neurodevelopmental characteristics that are more subtle or emerge later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunniva Fenn-Moltu
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Judit Ciarrusta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Eyre
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid & CIBER-BBN, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Harper
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Katy Vecchiato
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Daphna Fenchel
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Ayesha Javed
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Megan Earl
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- Paediatric Liver, GI and Nutrition Centre and MowatLabs, King’s College London, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Emer Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene P Duff
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
- Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 81675, Germany
| | - Serena Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
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21
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Tsompanidis A, Hampton S, Aydin E, Allison C, Holt R, Baron-Cohen S. Mini-puberty testosterone and infant autistic traits. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1126023. [PMID: 37091846 PMCID: PMC10113441 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1126023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Levels of steroid hormones in the first three months of life, a period referred to as 'mini-puberty', are one of the earliest physiological differences between typical males and females postnatally. Autistic traits also show consistent typical sex differences in later infancy, after the 18th month of life. Previous studies have shown prenatal testosterone is associated with later levels of autistic traits. Studies testing if postnatal testosterone levels are associated with autistic traits have reported null results. No studies to date have investigated mini-puberty longitudinally or tested for interactions with baseline sex differences or familial likelihood of autism. Methods The 'Cambridge Human Imaging and Longitudinal Development Study' (CHILD) is a prospective enriched cohort study in Cambridge, UK. It includes physiological measurements in early infancy, as well as neurodevelopmental follow-ups over the first two years of life. A subset of the cohort also includes children with a family history of autism (a diagnosed parent or sibling). Salivary testosterone levels were assessed at two time-points, just after the 2nd and 6th month of life. Autistic traits were measured using the Quantitative Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) when the children were 18 months of age. Results Salivary testosterone levels were significantly higher during 'mini-puberty' in the 2nd and 3rd month of life, compared to after the 6th month of life, in both males and females. There was no significant sex difference at either time-point. Log-transformed testosterone levels were not associated with autistic traits (Q-CHAT). There was no interaction effect with infant sex, autism family history or baseline testosterone levels after mini-puberty (at >6 months of age). Conclusion Both male and female infants have elevated levels of salivary testosterone during mini-puberty but in this relatively small sample this was not associated with their later autistic traits at 18 months or their family history of autism. This suggests that prenatal rather than postnatal testosterone levels are more relevant for understanding the causes of autism. Future studies should test these relationships in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Hampton
- York Trials Unit, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Hardiansyah I, Nyström P, Taylor MJ, Bölte S, Ronald A, Falck-Ytter T. Global motion processing in infants' visual cortex and the emergence of autism. Commun Biol 2023; 6:339. [PMID: 36977757 PMCID: PMC10050234 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a heritable and common neurodevelopmental condition, with behavioural symptoms typically emerging around age 2 to 3 years. Differences in basic perceptual processes have been documented in autistic children and adults. Specifically, data from many experiments suggest links between autism and alterations in global visual motion processing (i.e., when individual motion information is integrated to perceive an overall coherent pattern). Yet, no study has investigated whether a distinctive organization of global motion processing precede the emergence of autistic symptoms in early childhood. Here, using a validated infant electroencephalography (EEG) experimental paradigm, we first establish the normative activation profiles for global form, global motion, local form, and local motion in the visual cortex based on data from two samples of 5-month-old infants (total n = 473). Further, in a sample of 5-month-olds at elevated likelihood of autism (n = 52), we show that a different topographical organization of global motion processing is associated with autistic symptoms in toddlerhood. These findings advance the understanding of neural organization of infants' basic visual processing, and its role in the development of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irzam Hardiansyah
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pär Nyström
- Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Angelica Ronald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden.
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23
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Viktorsson C, Portugal AM, Li D, Rudling M, Siqueiros Sanchez M, Tammimies K, Taylor MJ, Ronald A, Falck‐Ytter T. Preferential looking to eyes versus mouth in early infancy: heritability and link to concurrent and later development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:311-319. [PMID: 36426800 PMCID: PMC10100106 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND From birth, infants orient preferentially to faces, and when looking at the face, they attend primarily to eyes and mouth. These areas convey different types of information, and earlier research suggests that genetic factors influence the preference for one or the other in young children. METHODS In a sample of 535 5-month-old infant twins, we assessed eye (relative to mouth) preference in early infancy, i.e., before neural systems for social communication and language are fully developed. We investigated the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the preference for looking at eyes, and the association with concurrent traits and follow-up measures. RESULTS Eye preference was independent from all other concurrent traits measured, and had a moderate-to-high contribution from genetic influences (A = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.66). Preference for eyes at 5 months was associated with higher parent ratings of receptive vocabulary at 14 months. No statistically significant association with later autistic traits was found. Preference for eyes was strikingly stable across different stimulus types (e.g., dynamic vs. still), suggesting that infants' preference at this age does not reflect sensitivity to low-level visual cues. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that individual differences in infants' preferential looking to eyes versus mouth to a substantial degree reflect genetic variation. The findings provide new leads on both the perceptual basis and the developmental consequences of these attentional biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of PsychologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Danyang Li
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Maja Rudling
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of PsychologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Monica Siqueiros Sanchez
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences ResearchStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kristiina Tammimies
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & BiostatisticsKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Angelica Ronald
- Department of Psychological SciencesBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Terje Falck‐Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of PsychologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced StudyUppsalaSweden
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24
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Thabtah F, Spencer R, Abdelhamid N, Kamalov F, Wentzel C, Ye Y, Dayara T. Autism screening: an unsupervised machine learning approach. Health Inf Sci Syst 2022; 10:26. [PMID: 36092454 PMCID: PMC9458819 DOI: 10.1007/s13755-022-00191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Early screening of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a key area of research in healthcare. Currently artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approaches are used to improve the process of autism diagnosis using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems. One of the issues related to autism diagnosis and screening data is the reliance of the predictions primarily on scores provided by medical screening methods which can be biased depending on how the scores are calculated. We attempt to reduce this bias by assessing the performance of the predictions related to the screening process using a new model that consists of a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) with classification algorithms. The SOM is employed prior to the diagnostic process to derive a new class label using clusters learnt from the independent features; these clusters are related to communication, repetitive traits, and social traits in the input dataset. Then, the new clusters are compared with existing class labels in the dataset to refine and eliminate any inconsistencies. Lastly, the refined dataset is utilised to derive classification systems for autism diagnosis. The new model was evaluated against a real-life autism screening dataset that consists of over 2000 instances of cases and controls. The results based on the refined dataset show that the proposed method achieves significantly higher accuracy, precision, and recall for the classification models derived when compared to models derived from the original dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robinson Spencer
- Digital Technologies, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Carl Wentzel
- Digital Technologies, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yongsheng Ye
- Digital Technologies, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thanu Dayara
- Digital Technologies, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
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25
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Sobieski M, Sobieska A, Sekułowicz M, Bujnowska-Fedak MM. Tools for early screening of autism spectrum disorders in primary health care – a scoping review. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2022; 23:46. [PMID: 35291950 PMCID: PMC8925080 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01645-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests itself in early childhood. Early diagnosis of these disorders allows for the initiation of early therapy, which is crucial for the child's further functioning in society.
Objectives
This review aims to gather and present the existing ASD screening tools that can be used in primary care and adapted to different countries conditions linguistically and culturally.
Eligibility criteria
We searched for English-language publications on ASD screening tools for children aged 0–3 years suitable for use in primary care (i.e. free, requiring no additional training or qualifications).
Sources of evidence
Four databases were explored to find English studies on ASD screening tools intended for the rapid assessment of children aged 0–3.
Charting methods
The information sought (specific features of the questionnaires relevant to primary health care workers, psychometric and diagnostic values of a given cultural adaptation of screening tools, and the linguistic and cultural changes made) were extracted and collected to create profiles of these tools.
Results
We found 81 studies which met inclusion criteria and underwent full data extraction. Three additional data sources were included. These allowed to create 75 profiles of adaptations for 26 different screening tools and collect data on their psychometric values and characteristic features.
Conclusions
The results of our study indicate the availability of several diagnostic tools for early ASD screening in primary care setting concordant culturally and linguistically with a given population. They could be an effective method of accelerating the diagnostic process and starting personalized therapy faster. However, most tools have significant limitations – some are only available for research purposes, while others do not have scientific evidence to prove their effectiveness.
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26
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Eapen V, Winata T, Gilbert M, Nair R, Khan F, Lucien A, Islam R, Masi A, Lam-Cassettari C, Mendoza Diaz A, Dissanayake C, Karlov L, Descallar J, Eastwood J, Hasan I, Jalaludin B, Kohlhoff J, Liaw ST, Lingam R, Ong N, Tam CWM, Woolfenden S, Barbaro J. Parental experience of an early developmental surveillance programme for autism within Australian general practice: a qualitative study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e064375. [PMID: 36442896 PMCID: PMC9710335 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Implementing support and services early in the life course has been shown to promote positive developmental outcomes for children at high likelihood of developmental conditions including autism. This study examined parents'/caregivers' experiences and perceptions about a digital developmental surveillance pathway for autism, the autism surveillance pathway (ASP), and usual care, the surveillance as usual (SaU) pathway, in the primary healthcare general practice setting. DESIGN This qualitative study involves using a convenience selection process of the full sample of parents/caregivers that participated in the main programme, 'General Practice Surveillance for Autism', a cluster-randomised controlled trial study. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded using NVivo V.12 software. An inductive thematic interpretive approach was adopted and data were analysed thematically. PARTICIPANTS Twelve parents/caregivers of children with or without a developmental condition/autism (who participated in the main programme) in South Western Sydney and Melbourne were interviewed. SETTINGS All interviews were completed over the phone. RESULTS There were seven major themes and 20 subthemes that included positive experiences, such as pre-existing patient-doctor relationships and their perceptions on the importance of knowing and accessing early support/services. Barriers or challenges experienced while using the SaU pathway included long waiting periods, poor communication and lack of action plans, complexity associated with navigating the healthcare system and lack of understanding by general practitioners (GPs). Common suggestions for improvement included greater awareness/education for parents/carers and the availability of accessible resources on child development for parents/caregivers. CONCLUSION The findings support the use of digital screening tools for developmental surveillance, including for autism, using opportunistic contacts in the general practice setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ANZCTR (ACTRN12619001200178).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valsamma Eapen
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Teresa Winata
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melissa Gilbert
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Radhika Nair
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Feroza Khan
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Abbie Lucien
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raisa Islam
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anne Masi
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christa Lam-Cassettari
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Antonio Mendoza Diaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cheryl Dissanayake
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joseph Descallar
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Eastwood
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Iqbal Hasan
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- Centre for Research, Evidence Management and Surveillance, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jane Kohlhoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siaw-Teng Liaw
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raghu Lingam
- Population Child Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie Ong
- Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chun Wah Michael Tam
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Primary and Integrated Care Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susan Woolfenden
- Population Child Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Josephine Barbaro
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Ferrara R, Iovino L, Di Renzo M, Ricci P. Babies under 1 year with atypical development: Perspectives for preventive individuation and treatment. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1016886. [PMID: 36467138 PMCID: PMC9713249 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A baby's first year of life is a time of immense development and cerebral plasticity. Following today's research and clinical observation, the period of the first year of life provides a new challenge inasmuch it is presently clear that it is possible to identify developmental anomalies in this window of time. Effecting early screening procedures could prove very useful, especially where we find genetic vulnerabilities in brothers and sisters of autistic subjects. Interventions of this kind, already practiced by some Public Health systems, can mean taking early action and primary protective measures with significant impacts not only on the subjects (babies and family members) concerned, but also on the public purse. It is, therefore, essential to provide for specific professionalized procedures for psychologists, pediatricians and neuropsychologists to be introduced through personnel highly specialized in interventions during the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosaria Ferrara
- Department of Anatomy Histology, Legal Medicine and Orthopaedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Leonardo Iovino
- Department of Economic and Legal Studies, “Parthenope” University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Pasquale Ricci
- Department of Anatomy Histology, Legal Medicine and Orthopaedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Kleine I, Vamvakas G, Lautarescu A, Falconer S, Chew A, Counsell S, Pickles A, Edwards D, Nosarti C. Postnatal maternal depressive symptoms and behavioural outcomes in term-born and preterm-born toddlers: a longitudinal UK community cohort study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e058540. [PMID: 36581974 PMCID: PMC9438072 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the association between maternal depressive symptoms in the immediate postnatal period and offspring's behavioural outcomes in a large cohort of term-born and preterm-born toddlers. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Data were drawn from the Developing Human Connectome Project. Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms were assessed at term-equivalent age, and children's outcomes were evaluated at a median corrected age of 18.4 months (range 17.3-24.3). EXPOSURE AND OUTCOMES Preterm birth was defined as <37 weeks completed gestation. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Toddlers' outcome measures were parent-rated Child Behaviour Checklist 11/2-5 Total (CBCL) and Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores. Toddlers' cognition was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III). RESULTS Higher maternal EPDS scores were associated with toddlers' higher CBCL (B=0.93, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.44, p<0.001, f2=0.05) and Q-CHAT scores (B=0.27, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.52, p=0.031, f2=0.01). Maternal EPDS, toddlers' CBCL and Q-CHAT scores did not differ between preterm (n=97; 19.1% of the total sample) and term participants. Maternal EPDS score did not disproportionately affect preterm children with respect to CBCL or Q-CHAT scores. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that children whose mothers reported increased depressive symptoms in the early postnatal period, including subclinical symptoms, exhibit more parent-reported behavioural problems in toddlerhood. These associations were independent of gestational age. Further research is needed to confirm the clinical significance of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ira Kleine
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - George Vamvakas
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Lautarescu
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Serena Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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29
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Eapen V, Liaw ST, Lingam R, Woolfenden S, Jalaludin B, Page A, Kohlhoff J, Scott JG, Lawson KD, Lam-Cassettari C, Heussler H, Descallar J, Karlov L, Ong N, Colditz PB, Littlewood R, Murphy E, Deering A, Short K, Garg P, Blight V, Rodgers K, Chalmers L, Webb KL, Atkins H, Newcomb D, Beswick R, Thomas C, Marron C, Chambers A, Scheinpflug S, Statham M, Samaranayake D, Chay P, Tam CWM, Khan F, Mendoza Diaz A, Cibralic S, Winata T, Pritchard M. Watch me grow integrated (WMG-I): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of a web-based surveillance approach for developmental screening in primary care settings. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e065823. [PMID: 35977775 PMCID: PMC9389092 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The increasing prevalence of developmental disorders in early childhood poses a significant global health burden. Early detection of developmental problems is vital to ensure timely access to early intervention, and universal developmental surveillance is recommended best practice for identifying issues. Despite this, there is currently considerable variation in developmental surveillance and screening between Australian states and territories and low rates of developmental screening uptake by parents. This study aims to evaluate an innovative web-based developmental surveillance programme and a sustainable approach to referral and care pathways, linking primary care general practice (GP) services that fall under federal policy responsibility and state government-funded child health services. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The proposed study describes a longitudinal cluster randomised controlled trial (c-RCT) comparing a 'Watch Me Grow Integrated' (WMG-I) approach for developmental screening, to Surveillance as Usual (SaU) in GPs. Forty practices will be recruited across New South Wales and Queensland, and randomly allocated into either the (1) WMG-I or (2) SaU group. A cohort of 2000 children will be recruited during their 18-month vaccination visit or opportunistic visit to GP. At the end of the c-RCT, a qualitative study using focus groups/interviews will evaluate parent and practitioner views of the WMG-I programme and inform national and state policy recommendations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The South Western Sydney Local Health District (2020/ETH01625), UNSW Sydney (2020/ETH01625) and University of Queensland (2021/HE000667) Human Research Ethics Committees independently reviewed and approved this study. Findings will be reported to the funding bodies, study institutes and partners; families and peer-reviewed conferences/publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ANZCTR12621000680864.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valsamma Eapen
- ICAMHS, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siaw-Teng Liaw
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raghu Lingam
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susan Woolfenden
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Page
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jane Kohlhoff
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Karitane, Villawood, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James G Scott
- The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - K D Lawson
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Christa Lam-Cassettari
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Helen Heussler
- Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Children's Health Research, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joseph Descallar
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie Ong
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul B Colditz
- The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robyn Littlewood
- Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Health and Wellbeing, Milton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Murphy
- New South Wales Ministry of Health, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - April Deering
- New South Wales Ministry of Health, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate Short
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pankaj Garg
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Blight
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kim Rodgers
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Kerri-Lyn Webb
- Developmental Paediatrics, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Heidi Atkins
- Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dana Newcomb
- Integrated Care, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The University of Queensland Primary Care Clinical Unit, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rachael Beswick
- Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Clare Thomas
- Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Catherine Marron
- Queensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Aaron Chambers
- Integrated Care, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sue Scheinpflug
- Brisbane South PHN, Upper Mount Gravatt, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matt Statham
- Brisbane South PHN, Upper Mount Gravatt, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dimuthu Samaranayake
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul Chay
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chun Wah Michael Tam
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Feroza Khan
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Antonio Mendoza Diaz
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sara Cibralic
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Teresa Winata
- ICAMHS, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Margo Pritchard
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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30
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Lautarescu A, Bonthrone AF, Pietsch M, Batalle D, Cordero-Grande L, Tournier JD, Christiaens D, Hajnal JV, Chew A, Falconer S, Nosarti C, Victor S, Craig MC, Edwards AD, Counsell SJ. Maternal depressive symptoms, neonatal white matter, and toddler social-emotional development. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:323. [PMID: 35945202 PMCID: PMC9363426 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02073-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal prenatal depression is associated with increased likelihood of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in offspring. The relationship between maternal depression and offspring outcome may be mediated by in-utero changes in brain development. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have enabled in vivo investigations of neonatal brains, minimising the effect of postnatal influences. The aim of this study was to examine associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms, infant white matter, and toddler behaviour. 413 mother-infant dyads enrolled in the developing Human Connectome Project. Mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (median = 5, range = 0-28, n = 52 scores ≥ 11). Infants (n = 223 male) (median gestational age at birth = 40 weeks, range 32.14-42.29) underwent MRI (median postmenstrual age at scan = 41.29 weeks, range 36.57-44.71). Fixel-based fibre metrics (mean fibre density, fibre cross-section, and fibre density modulated by cross-section) were calculated from diffusion imaging data in the left and right uncinate fasciculi and cingulum bundle. For n = 311, internalising and externalising behaviour, and social-emotional abilities were reported at a median corrected age of 18 months (range 17-24). Statistical analysis used multiple linear regression and mediation analysis with bootstrapping. Maternal depressive symptoms were positively associated with infant fibre density in the left (B = 0.0005, p = 0.003, q = 0.027) and right (B = 0.0006, p = 0.003, q = 0.027) uncinate fasciculus, with left uncinate fasciculus fibre density, in turn, positively associated with social-emotional abilities in toddlerhood (B = 105.70, p = 0.0007, q = 0.004). In a mediation analysis, higher maternal depressive symptoms predicted toddler social-emotional difficulties (B = 0.342, t(307) = 3.003, p = 0.003), but this relationship was not mediated by fibre density in the left uncinate fasciculus (Sobel test p = 0.143, bootstrapped indirect effect = 0.035, SE = 0.02, 95% CI: [-0.01, 0.08]). There was no evidence of an association between maternal depressive and cingulum fibre properties. These findings suggest that maternal perinatal depressive symptoms are associated with neonatal uncinate fasciculi microstructure, but not fibre bundle size, and toddler behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Lautarescu
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Alexandra F Bonthrone
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Maximilian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - J-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Suresh Victor
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Neonatal Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Michael C Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Female Hormone Clinic, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Neonatal Unit, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- EPSRC/Wellcome Centre for Medical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
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Matson JL, Callahan MM, Montrenes JJ. Development and initial testing of the BABY-BISCUIT in an at-risk population. Dev Neurorehabil 2022; 25:361-369. [PMID: 34962445 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2021.2018736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) via screeners for diagnostic measures are a high priority. At present, there is no consensus on one screener due to the need for better sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we report on the development and utility of the BABY-BISCUIT, a six-item screener based on a modified subset of items from the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT). METHODS A sample of 504 children between 17-3 9months of age, who consisted of toddlers identified as at-risk for neurodevelopmental and other health disorders, were tested during an annual screening through the Louisiana EarlySteps program. RESULTS An exploratory factor analysis yielded a one-factor solution (X2 = 48.62, df = 9, p = <.001). High sensitivity (i.e., 100.0%) at the cost of reduced specificity (i.e., 33.3%, AUC = 0.957) was found for an optimal screening cutoff score of 1. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study suggest that the BABY-BISCUIT has the potential to be a short and easily administered screener for ASD to inform whether further ASD assessment is necessary. Further investigation of convergent validity with established ASD measures is recommended.
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Are There Bidirectional Influences Between Screen Time Exposure and Social Behavioral Traits in Young Children? J Dev Behav Pediatr 2022; 43:362-369. [PMID: 35580310 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Screen time in early childhood has been associated with children's prosocial and behavioral skills; however, the directionality of this relationship is unclear. We aimed to determine the direction of the relationship between screen time, social skills, and nonsocial behavioral traits in young children. METHODS This was a population-based, prospective cohort study with data across 5 time points. We examined the reciprocal relationships between caregiver-reported children's screen time at 12, 18, 24, 36, and 54 months and social behaviors collected using the Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment at 12 months; the Quantitative Checklist for Autism at 18, 24, and 36 months; and the Social Responsiveness Scale at 54 months. Cross-lagged path models were used for analysis. RESULTS A multiple imputation data set and complete data from 229 participants were included in the analyses. Screen time at 12, 18, and 36 months predicted nonsocial behavioral traits at 54 months. Cross-lagged path models showed a clear direction from increased screen time at earlier time points to both poorer social skills and atypical behaviors at later time points (Akaike information criterion 18936.55, Bayesian information criterion 19210.73, root mean square error of approximation 0.037, and comparative fit index 0.943). Social skills or behavioral traits at a younger age did not predict later screen time at any of the time points. CONCLUSION Screen time in early childhood has lagged influences on social skills and nonsocial behaviors; the reverse relationship is not found. Close monitoring of social behaviors may be warranted in the setting of excessive screen time during early childhood.
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Sari NP, Jansen PW, Blanken LME, Ruigrok ANV, Prinzie P, Tiemeier H, Baron-Cohen S, van IJzendoorn MH, White T. Maternal age, autistic-like traits and mentalizing as predictors of child autistic-like traits in a population-based cohort. Mol Autism 2022; 13:26. [PMID: 35705965 PMCID: PMC9199218 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00507-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many empirical studies suggest that higher maternal age increases the likelihood of having an autistic child. However, little is known about factors that may explain this relationship or if higher maternal age is related to the number of autistic-like traits in offspring. One possibility is that mothers who have a higher number of autistic-like traits, including greater challenges performing mentalizing skills, are delayed in finding a partner. The goal of our study is to assess the relationship between maternal age, mentalizing skills and autistic-like traits as independent predictors of the number of autistic-like traits in offspring. Methods In a population-based study in the Netherlands, information on maternal age was collected during pre- and perinatal enrolment. Maternal mentalizing skills and autistic-like traits were assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Autism Spectrum Quotient, respectively. Autistic-like traits in children were assessed with the Social Responsiveness Scale. A total of 5718 mother/child dyads had complete data (Magechild = 13.5 years; 50.2% girls). Results The relationship between maternal age and autistic-like traits in offspring best fits a U-shaped curve. Furthermore, higher levels of autistic features in mothers are linked to higher levels of autistic-like traits in their children. Lower mentalizing performance in mothers is linked to higher levels of autistic-like traits in their children. Limitations We were able to collect data on both autistic-like traits and the mentalizing skills test in a large population of mothers, but we did not collect these data in a large number of the fathers. Conclusions The relationships between older and younger mothers may have comparable underlying mechanisms, but it is also possible that the tails of the U-shaped curve are influenced by disparate mechanisms. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00507-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Novika Purnama Sari
- Department Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Pauline W Jansen
- Department Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura M E Blanken
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amber N V Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Prinzie
- Department Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Department of Clinical Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, University of London, London, UK
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Lira Rodríguez EM, Pascual RC, Sanclemente MP, Martín-Hernández P, Gil-Lacruz M, Gil-Lacruz AI. The Influence of ASD Severity on Parental Overload: The Moderating Role of Parental Well-Being and the ASD Pragmatic Level. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:769. [PMID: 35740706 PMCID: PMC9221844 DOI: 10.3390/children9060769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to analyze the relation between the severity of symptoms in people with ASD on their parents' overload, moderated by parental well-being and the ASD pragmatic level. A sample consisted of 28 fathers and mothers whose children had ASD. The obtained results showed that the higher the ASD severity, the better the parental overload was perceived if parents had low well-being levels. However, this relation did not occur if the parental well-being level was high. Moreover, the relation between severity and parental overload moderated by parental well-being occurred regardless of the pragmatic language level. Therefore, the main results of this study are that the responsibility for parental overload depends more on parental well-being than on the symptom severity of the person with ASD. The relevance of carrying out interventions with not only people with ASD, but also with their parents or caregivers for their well-being is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Lira Rodríguez
- Faculty of Human Sciences and Education, University of Zaragoza, 22003 Huesca, Spain; (R.C.P.); (M.P.S.)
| | - Rocío Cremallet Pascual
- Faculty of Human Sciences and Education, University of Zaragoza, 22003 Huesca, Spain; (R.C.P.); (M.P.S.)
| | - Miguel Puyuelo Sanclemente
- Faculty of Human Sciences and Education, University of Zaragoza, 22003 Huesca, Spain; (R.C.P.); (M.P.S.)
| | | | - Marta Gil-Lacruz
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Ana I. Gil-Lacruz
- School of Engineering and Architecture, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain;
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Edwards AD, Rueckert D, Smith SM, Abo Seada S, Alansary A, Almalbis J, Allsop J, Andersson J, Arichi T, Arulkumaran S, Bastiani M, Batalle D, Baxter L, Bozek J, Braithwaite E, Brandon J, Carney O, Chew A, Christiaens D, Chung R, Colford K, Cordero-Grande L, Counsell SJ, Cullen H, Cupitt J, Curtis C, Davidson A, Deprez M, Dillon L, Dimitrakopoulou K, Dimitrova R, Duff E, Falconer S, Farahibozorg SR, Fitzgibbon SP, Gao J, Gaspar A, Harper N, Harrison SJ, Hughes EJ, Hutter J, Jenkinson M, Jbabdi S, Jones E, Karolis V, Kyriakopoulou V, Lenz G, Makropoulos A, Malik S, Mason L, Mortari F, Nosarti C, Nunes RG, O’Keeffe C, O’Muircheartaigh J, Patel H, Passerat-Palmbach J, Pietsch M, Price AN, Robinson EC, Rutherford MA, Schuh A, Sotiropoulos S, Steinweg J, Teixeira RPAG, Tenev T, Tournier JD, Tusor N, Uus A, Vecchiato K, Williams LZJ, Wright R, Wurie J, Hajnal JV. The Developing Human Connectome Project Neonatal Data Release. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:886772. [PMID: 35677357 PMCID: PMC9169090 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.886772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Developing Human Connectome Project has created a large open science resource which provides researchers with data for investigating typical and atypical brain development across the perinatal period. It has collected 1228 multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain datasets from 1173 fetal and/or neonatal participants, together with collateral demographic, clinical, family, neurocognitive and genomic data from 1173 participants, together with collateral demographic, clinical, family, neurocognitive and genomic data. All subjects were studied in utero and/or soon after birth on a single MRI scanner using specially developed scanning sequences which included novel motion-tolerant imaging methods. Imaging data are complemented by rich demographic, clinical, neurodevelopmental, and genomic information. The project is now releasing a large set of neonatal data; fetal data will be described and released separately. This release includes scans from 783 infants of whom: 583 were healthy infants born at term; as well as preterm infants; and infants at high risk of atypical neurocognitive development. Many infants were imaged more than once to provide longitudinal data, and the total number of datasets being released is 887. We now describe the dHCP image acquisition and processing protocols, summarize the available imaging and collateral data, and provide information on how the data can be accessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen M. Smith
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samy Abo Seada
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amir Alansary
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Almalbis
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Allsop
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jesper Andersson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Arulkumaran
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Bastiani
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Baxter
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jelena Bozek
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Eleanor Braithwaite
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline Brandon
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia Carney
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raymond Chung
- BioResource Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen Colford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet Cullen
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Cupitt
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Curtis
- BioResource Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Davidson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Deprez
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Dillon
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantina Dimitrakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Translational Bioinformatics Platform, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene Duff
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Seyedeh-Rezvan Farahibozorg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P. Fitzgibbon
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jianliang Gao
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreia Gaspar
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nicholas Harper
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam J. Harrison
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emer J. Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Jenkinson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Saad Jbabdi
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vyacheslav Karolis
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gregor Lenz
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antonios Makropoulos
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shaihan Malik
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Filippo Mortari
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita G. Nunes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)/LaRSyS, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Camilla O’Keeffe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hamel Patel
- BioResource Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Passerat-Palmbach
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maximillian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony N. Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma C. Robinson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mary A. Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stamatios Sotiropoulos
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Steinweg
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rui Pedro Azeredo Gomes Teixeira
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tencho Tenev
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacques-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Tusor
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alena Uus
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katy Vecchiato
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Logan Z. J. Williams
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Wright
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Wurie
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph V. Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Do Autism-Specific and General Developmental Screens Have Complementary Clinical Value? J Autism Dev Disord 2022:10.1007/s10803-022-05541-y. [PMID: 35579791 PMCID: PMC10214166 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05541-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Prior studies suggest autism-specific and general developmental screens are complementary for identifying both autism and developmental delay (DD). Parents completed autism and developmental screens before 18-month visits. Children with failed screens for autism (n = 167) and age, gender, and practice-matched children passing screens (n = 241) completed diagnostic evaluations for autism and developmental delay. When referral for autism and/or DD was considered, overall false positives from the autism screens were less frequent than for referral for autism alone. Presence of a failed communication subscale in the developmental screen was a red flag for autism and/or DD. An ordinally-scored autism screen had more favorable characteristics when considering autism and/or DD, yet none of the screens achieved recommended standards at 18 months, reinforcing the need for recurrent screening as autism emerges in early development.
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Napolitano A, Schiavi S, La Rosa P, Rossi-Espagnet MC, Petrillo S, Bottino F, Tagliente E, Longo D, Lupi E, Casula L, Valeri G, Piemonte F, Trezza V, Vicari S. Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:889636. [PMID: 35633791 PMCID: PMC9136002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and can be associated with hyper- or hypo-reactivity of sensory stimulation and cognitive disability. ASD comorbid features include internalizing and externalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and it is undoubted that the disorder is linked to some extent to both genetic and environmental factors. It is also well-documented and known that one of the most striking and consistent finding in ASD is the higher prevalence in males compared to females, with around 70% of ASD cases described being males. The present review looked into the most significant studies that attempted to investigate differences in ASD males and females thus trying to shade some light on the peculiar characteristics of this prevalence in terms of diagnosis, imaging, major autistic-like behavior and sex-dependent uniqueness. The study also discussed sex differences found in animal models of ASD, to provide a possible explanation of the neurological mechanisms underpinning the different presentation of autistic symptoms in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Piergiorgio La Rosa
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet
- Neuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- NESMOS, Neuroradiology Department, S. Andrea Hospital Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Petrillo
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bottino
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Tagliente
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Longo
- Neuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Lupi
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Casula
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Valeri
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorella Piemonte
- Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Life Sciences and Public Health Department, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
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Fenchel D, Dimitrova R, Robinson EC, Batalle D, Chew A, Falconer S, Kyriakopoulou V, Nosarti C, Hutter J, Christiaens D, Pietsch M, Brandon J, Hughes EJ, Allsop J, O'Keeffe C, Price AN, Cordero-Grande L, Schuh A, Makropoulos A, Passerat-Palmbach J, Bozek J, Rueckert D, Hajnal JV, McAlonan G, Edwards AD, O'Muircheartaigh J. Neonatal multi-modal cortical profiles predict 18-month developmental outcomes. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101103. [PMID: 35364447 PMCID: PMC8971851 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental delays in infanthood often persist, turning into life-long difficulties, and coming at great cost for the individual and community. By examining the developing brain and its relation to developmental outcomes we can start to elucidate how the emergence of brain circuits is manifested in variability of infant motor, cognitive and behavioural capacities. In this study, we examined if cortical structural covariance at birth, indexing coordinated development, is related to later infant behaviour. We included 193 healthy term-born infants from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP). An individual cortical connectivity matrix derived from morphological and microstructural features was computed for each subject (morphometric similarity networks, MSNs) and was used as input for the prediction of behavioural scores at 18 months using Connectome-Based Predictive Modeling (CPM). Neonatal MSNs successfully predicted social-emotional performance. Predictive edges were distributed between and within known functional cortical divisions with a specific important role for primary and posterior cortical regions. These results reveal that multi-modal neonatal cortical profiles showing coordinated maturation are related to developmental outcomes and that network organization at birth provides an early infrastructure for future functional skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphna Fenchel
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Ralica Dimitrova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Emma C Robinson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EU, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK; Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maximilian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Jakki Brandon
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Emer J Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Joanna Allsop
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Camilla O'Keeffe
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK; Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid & CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreas Schuh
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Antonios Makropoulos
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Jelena Bozek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Daniel Rueckert
- Biomedical Image Analysis Group, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Institute für Artificial Intelligence and Informatics in Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 8AZ, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK
| | - Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging & Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH UK.
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Niedźwiecka A, Pisula E. Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders Measured by the Qualitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers in a Large Sample of Polish Toddlers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:3072. [PMID: 35270764 PMCID: PMC8910243 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19053072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess some early symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) measured by a screening tool developed for an early detection of ASD. We investigated if the early symptoms were associated with toddlers' age, gender or ASD familial risk status. We used the Polish version of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) to assess 1024 children aged 16 to 36 months. The sample included four groups of participants: typically developing toddlers, toddlers with parent-reported ASD-specific concerns, toddlers at risk for autism due to having an older sibling with ASD, and toddlers with a developmental delay. We found that mean Q-CHAT scores were significantly higher in boys than in girls. We did not find any associations between Q-CHAT scores and age. We observed that toddlers with a familial risk for ASD and those with a developmental delay scored significantly higher than controls. We collated these results with previous studies that used the Q-CHAT and other instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Niedźwiecka
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland;
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Sturner R, Howard B, Bergmann P, Attar S, Stewart-Artz L, Bet K, Allison C, Baron-Cohen S. Autism screening at 18 months of age: a comparison of the Q-CHAT-10 and M-CHAT screeners. Mol Autism 2022; 13:2. [PMID: 34980240 PMCID: PMC8722322 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00480-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism screening is recommended at 18- and 24-month pediatric well visits. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers—Revised (M-CHAT-R) authors recommend a follow-up interview (M-CHAT-R/F) when positive. M-CHAT-R/F may be less accurate for 18-month-olds than 24-month-olds and accuracy for identification prior to two years is not known in samples that include children screening negative. Since autism symptoms may emerge gradually, ordinally scoring items based on the full range of response options, such as in the 10-item version of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT-10), might better capture autism signs than the dichotomous (i.e., yes/no) items in M-CHAT-R or the pass/fail scoring of Q-CHAT-10 items. The aims of this study were to determine and compare the accuracy of the M-CHAT-R/F and the Q-CHAT-10 and to describe the accuracy of the ordinally scored Q-CHAT-10 (Q-CHAT-10-O) for predicting autism in a sample of children who were screened at 18 months.
Methods This is a community pediatrics validation study with screen positive (n = 167) and age- and practice-matched screen negative children (n = 241) recruited for diagnostic evaluations completed prior to 2 years old. Clinical diagnosis of autism was based on results of in-person diagnostic autism evaluations by research reliable testers blind to screening results and using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Second Edition (ADOS-2) Toddler Module and Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) per standard guidelines.
Results While the M-CHAT-R/F had higher specificity and PPV compared to M-CHAT-R, Q-CHAT-10-O showed higher sensitivity than M-CHAT-R/F and Q-CHAT-10. Limitations Many parents declined participation and the sample is over-represented by higher educated parents. Results cannot be extended to older ages. Conclusions Limitations of the currently recommended two-stage M-CHAT-R/F at the 18-month visit include low sensitivity with minimal balancing benefit of improved PPV from the follow-up interview. Ordinal, rather than dichotomous, scoring of autism screening items appears to be beneficial at this age. The Q-CHAT-10-O with ordinal scoring shows advantages to M-CHAT-R/F with half the number of items, no requirement for a follow-up interview, and improved sensitivity. Yet, Q-CHAT-10-O sensitivity is less than M-CHAT-R (without follow-up) and specificity is less than the two-stage procedure. Such limitations are consistent with recognition that screening needs to recur beyond this age. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00480-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Sturner
- Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. .,Center for Promotion of Child Development Through Primary Care, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Barbara Howard
- Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.,CHADIS, Inc., 6017 Altamont Place, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paul Bergmann
- CHADIS, Inc., 6017 Altamont Place, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Foresight Logic, Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Shana Attar
- CHADIS, Inc., 6017 Altamont Place, Baltimore, MD, USA.,University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lydia Stewart-Artz
- Center for Promotion of Child Development Through Primary Care, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kerry Bet
- Center for Promotion of Child Development Through Primary Care, Baltimore, MD, USA.,CHADIS, Inc., 6017 Altamont Place, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Williams ZJ, Suzman E, Woynaroski TG. Prevalence of Decreased Sound Tolerance (Hyperacusis) in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. Ear Hear 2021; 42:1137-1150. [PMID: 33577214 PMCID: PMC8349927 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hyperacusis, defined as decreased tolerance to sound at levels that would not trouble most individuals, is frequently observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the functional impairment attributable to hyperacusis, little is known about its prevalence or natural history in the ASD population. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis estimating the current and lifetime prevalence of hyperacusis in children, adolescents, and adults with ASD. By precisely estimating the burden of hyperacusis in the ASD population, the present study aims to enhance recognition of this particular symptom of ASD and highlight the need for additional research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of hyperacusis in persons on the spectrum. DESIGN We searched PubMed and ProQuest to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English after January 1993. We additionally performed targeted searches of Google Scholar and the gray literature, including studies published through May 2020. Eligible studies included at least 20 individuals with diagnosed ASD of any age and reported data from which the proportion of ASD individuals with current and/or lifetime hyperacusis could be derived. To account for multiple prevalence estimates derived from the same samples, we utilized three-level Bayesian random-effects meta-analyses to estimate the current and lifetime prevalence of hyperacusis. Bayesian meta-regression was used to assess potential moderators of current hyperacusis prevalence. To reduce heterogeneity due to varying definitions of hyperacusis, we performed a sensitivity analysis on the subset of studies that ascertained hyperacusis status using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), a structured parent interview. RESULTS A total of 7783 nonduplicate articles were screened, of which 67 were included in the review and synthesis. Hyperacusis status was ascertained in multiple ways across studies, with 60 articles employing interviews or questionnaires and seven using behavioral observations or objective measures. The mean (range) age of samples in the included studies was 7.88 years (1.00 to 34.89 years). The meta-analysis of interview/questionnaire measures (k(3) = 103, nASD = 13,093) estimated the current and lifetime prevalence of hyperacusis in ASD to be 41.42% (95% CrI, 37.23 to 45.84%) and 60.58% (50.37 to 69.76%), respectively. A sensitivity analysis restricted to prevalence estimates derived from the ADI-R (k(3) = 25, nASD = 5028) produced similar values. The estimate of current hyperacusis prevalence using objective/observational measures (k(3) = 8, nASD = 488) was 27.30% (14.92 to 46.31%). Heterogeneity in the full sample of interview/questionnaire measures was substantial but not significantly explained by any tested moderator. However, prevalence increased sharply with increasing age in studies using the ADI-R (BF10 = 93.10, R2Het = 0.692). CONCLUSIONS In this meta-analysis, we found a high prevalence of current and lifetime hyperacusis in individuals with ASD, with a majority of individuals on the autism spectrum experiencing hyperacusis at some point in their lives. The high prevalence of hyperacusis in individuals with ASD across the lifespan highlights the need for further research on sound tolerance in this population and the development of services and/or interventions to reduce the burden of this common symptom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Evan Suzman
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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42
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Symptoms of Autism, Comorbid Mental Health Conditions and Challenging Behaviors among Toddlers with Down Syndrome at Low Risk for ASD-Characterization Using the BISCUIT-Parts 1-3. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010684. [PMID: 34682430 PMCID: PMC8535697 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may coexist with Down syndrome (DS). Most studies on this topic involve school-age children, adolescents, or adults with DS. This study looked at ASD symptoms, other mental health problems, and challenging behaviors in toddlers with DS at low risk of ASD. Methods: We used screening tools for autism in toddlers; BISCUIT–Parts 1–3 and Q-CHAT. We compared four groups of children aged 17–37 months: DS, ASD, Atypical Development (AD), and Typically Developing (TD). Results: Children with DS showed lower symptoms of ASD than children with ASD (without DS) and higher than TD children, except for repetitive behaviors/restricted interests. For comorbid mental health problems and difficult behaviors, children with DS scored lower than children with ASD. There were no differences between children with DS and TD children in this regard. Conclusions: The study results indicate that BISCUIT–Parts 1–3 are valid instruments to differentiate toddlers with DS from toddlers with ASD. However, they also show that toddlers with DS at low ASD risk are a very heterogeneous group when the ASD symptoms are considered. Autistic characteristics should be taken into account in supporting young children with this genetic condition.
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The Babytwins Study Sweden (BATSS): A Multi-Method Infant Twin Study of Genetic and Environmental Factors Influencing Infant Brain and Behavioral Development. Twin Res Hum Genet 2021; 24:217-227. [PMID: 34521499 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2021.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Twin studies can help us understand the relative contributions of genes and environment to phenotypic trait variation, including attentional and brain activation measures. In terms of applying methodologies such as electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking, which are key methods in developmental neuroscience, infant twin studies are almost nonexistent. Here, we describe the Babytwins Study Sweden (BATSS), a multi-method longitudinal twin study of 177 MZ and 134 DZ twin pairs (i.e., 622 individual infants) covering the 5-36 month time period. The study includes EEG, eye tracking and genetics, together with more traditional measures based on in-person testing, direct observation and questionnaires. The results show that interest in participation in research among twin parents is high, despite the comprehensive protocol. DNA analysis from saliva samples was possible in virtually all participants, allowing for both zygosity confirmation and polygenic score analyses. Combining a longitudinal twin design with advanced technologies in developmental cognitive neuroscience and genomics, BATSS represents a new approach in infancy research, which we hope to have impact across multiple disciplines in the coming years.
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Nabil MA, Akram A, Fathalla KM. Applying machine learning on home videos for remote autism diagnosis: Further study and analysis. Health Informatics J 2021; 27:1460458221991882. [PMID: 33583277 DOI: 10.1177/1460458221991882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism) is a developmental disorder that impedes the social and communication capabilities of a person through out his life. Early detection of autism is critical in contributing to better prognosis. In this study, the use of home videos to provide accessible diagnosis is investigated. A machine learning approach is adopted to detect autism from home videos. Feature selection and state-of-the-art classification methods are applied to provide a sound diagnosis based on home video ratings obtained from non-clinicians feedback. Our models results indicate that home videos can effectively detect autistic group with True Positive Rate reaching 94.05% using Support Vector Machines and backwards feature selection. In this study, human-interpretable models are presented to elucidate the reasoning behind the classification process and its subsequent decision. In addition, the prime features that need to be monitored for early autism detection are revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ansam Akram
- Arab Academy for Science and Technology, Egypt
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Fekar Gharamaleki F, Bahrami B, Masumi J. Autism screening tests: A narrative review. J Public Health Res 2021; 11. [PMID: 34351096 PMCID: PMC8859712 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2021.2308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As screening tests are tools to quantify communication-interactive abilities of speech and language; therefore, to evaluate, screen, diagnose and treat various aspects of one’s abilities, they are necessary. The purpose of this study is to review the existing autism screening tools, their subtests, administration, scoring, and application in clinical and research contexts in children and adults. This study was a review of autism screening tools; hence, an electronic search through databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Medline, SID, and Magiran was performed from 2000 to 2021. The tests were examined in terms of year of publication, duration, age range, assessment method, subtests, and psychometric properties and furthermore, they were reviewed in details. In this study, 19 autism screening tests were evaluated and The Autism Spectrum Quotient was found to have the shortest administration time while The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale had the longest, and the only test that varied in duration was the Autism Screening Instrument for educational planning. Autism screening is a complex issue. Reviewing these articles reveals that some tests have been used more in recent years due to their specialized subtests or easy and fast administration. Prompt testing is extremely crucial especially in emergency situations like the current COVID-19 pandemic the world is struggling with today. A review of speech tone tests shows that the CARS-2 is one of the most widely validated autism assessments. Significance for public health Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with communication deficits, repetitive patterns, behaviors, and activities. Autism screening is a complex procedure that requires a piece of standard information and validated tools to help professionals in this process. Early autism screening plays a crucial role in treating the disorder and enhancing the quality of life and increasing the health level. Studies show that symptoms of autism manifest in the first two years of life. Therefore, if there is a suitable screening tool with a simple procedure that specialists can administer in a short time, these children could get diagnosed at an early age and thus have the opportunity for positive interventions. Tests with short administration time are specially needed now since with the outbreak of the COVID-19. Therefore, we conducted to investigate autism screening tests to access to help therapists select the appropriate test.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Boshra Bahrami
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz.
| | - Jafar Masumi
- Department of Speech Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz.
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46
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Lenart A, Pasternak J. Resources, Problems and Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Support System in Poland. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 53:1629-1641. [PMID: 34345979 PMCID: PMC10066150 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05142-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The article refers to resources, problems and challenges of autism diagnosis and support system in Poland. The resources include: the increasing number of specialists, diagnostic and therapeutic centres, well-established course of education for people working with youths, standardised and normalised diagnostic tools. The diagnostic process is not without some areas in need of our focus: the tendency of some specialists to make unauthorised diagnosis, overshadowing; underestimation of comorbidity of ASD with other disorders. The challenges refer to introducing an effective system of monitoring the services provided in form of certification and control in order to prevent their abuse, initiating category of temporary diagnosis; paying more attention on individual's resources, better cooperation among specialists, teachers and families, developing and unifying diagnostic standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lenart
- College of Social Sciences, Institute of Pedagogy, Department of Psychology, University of Rzeszow, ul. Ks. Jalowego 24, 35-010, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Jacek Pasternak
- College of Social Sciences, Institute of Pedagogy, Department of Psychology, University of Rzeszow, ul. Ks. Jalowego 24, 35-010, Rzeszow, Poland.
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Tsompanidis A, Aydin E, Padaigaitė E, Richards G, Allison C, Hackett G, Austin T, Holt R, Baron-Cohen S. Maternal steroid levels and the autistic traits of the mother and infant. Mol Autism 2021; 12:51. [PMID: 34238355 PMCID: PMC8268382 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00453-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal sex steroids have been associated with autism in several clinical and epidemiological studies. It is unclear how this relates to the autistic traits of the mother and how early this can be detected during pregnancy and postnatal development. METHODS Maternal serum was collected from pregnant women (n = 122) before or during their first ultrasound appointment [mean = 12.7 (SD = 0.7) weeks]. Concentrations of the following were measured via immunoassays: testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, progesterone; and sex hormone-binding globulin which was used to compute the free fractions of estradiol (FEI) and testosterone (FTI). Standardised human choriogonadotropin (hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) values were obtained from clinical records corresponding to the same serum samples. Mothers completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and for their infants, the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) when the infants were between 18 and 20 months old. RESULTS FEI was positively associated with maternal autistic traits in univariate (n = 108, Pearson's r = 0.22, p = 0.019) and multiple regression models (semipartial r = 0.19, p = 0.048) controlling for maternal age and a diagnosis of PCOS. Maternal estradiol levels significantly interacted with fetal sex in predicting infant Q-CHAT scores, with a positive relationship in males but not females (n = 100, interaction term: semipartial r = 0.23, p = 0.036) after controlling for maternal AQ and other covariates. The opposite was found for standardised hCG values and Q-CHAT scores, with a positive association in females but not in males (n = 151, interaction term: r = -0.25, p = 0.005). LIMITATIONS Sample size of this cohort was small, with potential ascertainment bias given elective recruitment. Clinical covariates were controlled in multiple regression models, but additional research is needed to confirm the statistically significant findings in larger cohorts. CONCLUSION Maternal steroid factors during pregnancy are associated with autistic traits in mothers and their infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - E Aydin
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E Padaigaitė
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - G Richards
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - C Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - G Hackett
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - T Austin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - R Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Kung KTF, Thankamony A, Ong KKL, Acerini CL, Dunger DB, Hughes IA, Hines M. No relationship between prenatal or early postnatal androgen exposure and autistic traits: evidence using anogenital distance and penile length measurements at birth and 3 months of age. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:876-883. [PMID: 33049073 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is more prevalent in males than in females. Hypotheses related to the extreme male brain theory of autism suggest that heightened androgen exposure during early development contributes to autistic traits. Whilst prior research focused mostly on the prenatal period, the current study tests the influences of androgen exposure during both the prenatal and the early postnatal periods on autistic traits during childhood. METHODS Anthropometric measures that are putative biomarkers of early androgen exposure were employed. Anogenital distance (AGD) was measured at birth and 3 months of age in boys and girls. Penile length at birth and 3 months of age was also measured in boys. When the children were 9-13 years old, a parent-reported questionnaire (the 10-item children's version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient; AQ-10 Child) was used to assess autistic traits in 97 boys and 110 girls. RESULTS There were no significant associations between any of the AGD or penile length measures and scores on the AQ-10 Child in boys, girls or the entire sample. CONCLUSIONS The current study provides the first test of whether early measurements of AGD and/or penile length predict subsequent autistic traits. The current findings do not support a relationship between prenatal or early postnatal androgen exposure and autistic traits. The current study augments prior research showing no consistent relationship between early androgen exposure and autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karson T F Kung
- Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ajay Thankamony
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ken K L Ong
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlo L Acerini
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David B Dunger
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ieuan A Hughes
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Melissa Hines
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Mujeeb Rahman KK, Monica Subashini M. A Deep Neural Network-Based Model for Screening Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (QCHAT). J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2732-2746. [PMID: 34191261 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05141-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an abnormal condition of brain development characterized by impaired cognitive ability, speech and human interactions, in addition to a set of repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviours. Although no cure for autism exists, early medical intervention can improve the associated symptoms and quality of life. Several manually executed screening tools help to identify the ASD-related behavioural traits in the children that assists the specialist in diagnosing the disease accurately. The quantitative checklist for autism in toddlers (QCHAT) is one of the efficient screening tools used worldwide for ASD screening. ASD diagnosis requires many different manually administered procedures; hence long delay is encountered in getting final results. In recent years, deep neural network (DNN) popularity has been immensely increasing due to its supremacy in solving complex problems. The objective of this research is to apply algorithms, based on the deep neural network (DNN) to identify patients with ASD from the QCHAT datasets. We have used two datasets, the QCHAT and QCHAT-10, in our study. The results obtained show that related to contemporary techniques, the proposed method brings better performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Mujeeb Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - M Monica Subashini
- School of Electrical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.
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Licari MK, Varcin K, Hudry K, Leonard HC, Alvares GA, Pillar SV, Stevenson PG, Cooper MN, Whitehouse AJO. The course and prognostic capability of motor difficulties in infants showing early signs of autism. Autism Res 2021; 14:1759-1768. [PMID: 34021977 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Delays within the motor domain are often overlooked as an early surveillance marker for autism. The present study evaluated motor difficulties and its potential as an early predictive marker for later autism likelihood in a cohort of infants (N = 96) showing early behavioral signs of autism aged 9-14 months. The motor domain was evaluated using the motor subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at baseline, and at a 6-month follow-up. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Toddler Module (ADOS-T) was completed at follow-up as a measure of autism likelihood. Motor difficulties were common at baseline, with 63/96 (65.6%) infants scoring very low or below average in the gross motor domain and 29/96 (30.2%) in the fine motor domain. At follow-up, gross motor difficulties had resolved for many, with 23/63 (36.5%) infants maintaining these difficulties. Fine motor difficulties resolved in fewer infants, with 20/29 (69.0%) continuing to present with fine motor delays at follow-up. Adjusted linear regression models suggested that fine motor scores at baseline (β = -0.12, SE = 0.04) and follow-up (β = -0.17, SE = 0.05) were associated with higher ADOS-T scores; with difficulties across both timepoints (β = 5.60, SE = 1.35) the strongest (largest in magnitude) association with ADOS-T scores of the predictors examined. Motor difficulties are prominent in children displaying emerging signs of autism, with persistent fine motor difficulties predictive of the developing autism phenotype. The findings indicate the potential clinical value of including evaluation of motor skills within early autism surveillance measures. LAY SUMMARY: This prospective study evaluated motor development over a 6-month period in infants showing early behavioral signs of autism. Atypical motor development was a common feature of infants showing early signs of autism and persistent fine motor difficulties were predictive of the emerging autism phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K Licari
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kandice Varcin
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kristelle Hudry
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Gail A Alvares
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sarah V Pillar
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Paul G Stevenson
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Matthew N Cooper
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew J O Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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