Focus on the Social Aspect of Autism

Autistic-Delivered Peer Support: A Feasibility Study

Peer support has been an undeveloped pathway for filling the service gap and to generate employment opportunities for autistic individuals. Peer supports have been deployed widely in mental health and among veterans and understanding the utility of this service modality among autistic individuals illuminates opportunities for research, policy, and practice. This study examined characteristics of participants in an autistic-delivered peer support program and reports on use of and satisfaction with the program. Half of autistic participants had a co-occurring mental health diagnosis. Participants reported multiple areas of unmet needs and participant satisfaction with the program was high (90%). The findings of this study point toward autistic-delivered peer support as a promising avenue for future development.

Autism in Africa: prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and the impact of social and cultural factors on families and caregivers: a review

This paper presents a narrative review of current knowledge on autism in Africa, including prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and the impact of social and cultural factors on families and caregivers. The prevalence of autism in Africa is estimated to be similar to that in other regions. However, diagnosis and treatment access remain limited due to various challenges, such as a shortage of specialised healthcare professionals and resources, a lack of awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among healthcare providers, and cultural stigma surrounding mental health and developmental disorders. Alternative therapies are commonly used with other therapies, but their effectiveness is often unproven. The impact of ASD on families and caregivers in Africa is significant, with many facing challenges in accessing support services and coping with stigma. Efforts are being made to increase awareness and reduce the stigma around ASD in African communities, but more research is needed on effective interventions and culturally appropriate treatments. Policy recommendations include increasing resources and training for healthcare professionals, improving access to evidence-based interventions and promoting community awareness and support. With improved understanding and investment, the quality of life of individuals with ASD in Africa can be significantly improved.

Alterations in Cerebellar Microtubule Cytoskeletal Network in a ValproicAcid-Induced Rat Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental diseases characterised by deficits in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours. The growing body of evidence points to a role for cerebellar changes in ASD pathology. Some of the findings suggest that not only motor problems but also social deficits, repetitive behaviours, and mental inflexibility associated with ASD are connected with damage to the cerebellum. However, the understanding of this brain structure's functions in ASD pathology needs future investigations. Therefore, in this study, we generated a rodent model of ASD through a single prenatal administration of valproic acid (VPA) into pregnant rats, followed by cerebellar morphological studies of the offspring, focusing on the alterations of key cytoskeletal elements. The expression (Western blot) of α/β-tubulin and the major neuronal MT-associated proteins (MAP) such as MAP-Tau and MAP1B, MAP2, MAP6 (STOP) along with actin-crosslinking αII-spectrin and neurofilament light polypeptide (NF-L) was investigated. We found that maternal exposure to VPA induces a significant decrease in the protein levels of α/β-tubulin, MAP-Tau, MAP1B, MAP2, and αII-spectrin. Moreover, excessive MAP-Tau phosphorylation at (Ser396) along with key Tau-kinases activation was indicated. Immunohistochemical staining showed chromatolysis in the cerebellum of autistic-like rats and loss of Purkinje cells shedding light on one of the possible molecular mechanisms underpinning neuroplasticity alterations in the ASD brain.

Circulating Non-Coding RNAs as a Signature of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptomatology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaced neurodevelopmental disorder that becomes apparent during early childhood development. The complexity of ASD makes clinically diagnosing the condition difficult. Consequently, by identifying the biomarkers associated with ASD severity and combining them with clinical diagnosis, one may better factionalize within the spectrum and devise more targeted therapeutic strategies. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers that can be used for precise ASD diagnosis. Consequently, our pilot experimental cohort was subdivided into three groups: healthy controls, individuals those that express severe symptoms of ASD, and individuals that exhibit mild symptoms of ASD. Using next-generation sequencing, we were able to identify several circulating non-coding RNAs (cir-ncRNAs) in plasma. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show that miRNAs, piRNAs, snoRNAs, Y-RNAs, tRNAs, and lncRNAs are stably expressed in plasma. Our data identify cir-ncRNAs that are specific to ASD. Furthermore, several of the identified cir-ncRNAs were explicitly associated with either the severe or mild groups. Hence, our findings suggest that cir-ncRNAs have the potential to be utilized as objective diagnostic biomarkers and clinical targets.

Differences in subcortico-cortical interactions identified from connectome and microcircuit models in autism

The pathophysiology of autism has been suggested to involve a combination of both macroscale connectome miswiring and microcircuit anomalies. Here, we combine connectome-wide manifold learning with biophysical simulation models to understand associations between global network perturbations and microcircuit dysfunctions in autism. We studied neuroimaging and phenotypic data in 47 individuals with autism and 37 typically developing controls obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange initiative. Our analysis establishes significant differences in structural connectome organization in individuals with autism relative to controls, with strong between-group effects in low-level somatosensory regions and moderate effects in high-level association cortices. Computational models reveal that the degree of macroscale anomalies is related to atypical increases of recurrent excitation/inhibition, as well as subcortical inputs into cortical microcircuits, especially in sensory and motor areas. Transcriptomic association analysis based on postmortem datasets identifies genes expressed in cortical and thalamic areas from childhood to young adulthood. Finally, supervised machine learning finds that the macroscale perturbations are associated with symptom severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Together, our analyses suggest that atypical subcortico-cortical interactions are associated with both microcircuit and macroscale connectome differences in autism.

Alterations in Tau Protein Level and Phosphorylation State in the Brain of the Autistic-Like Rats Induced by Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficient social interaction and communication besides repetitive, stereotyped behaviours. A characteristic feature of ASD is altered dendritic spine density and morphology associated with synaptic plasticity disturbances. Since microtubules (MTs) regulate dendritic spine morphology and play an important role in spine development and plasticity the aim of the present study was to investigate the alterations in the content of neuronal α/β-tubulin and Tau protein level as well as phosphorylation state in the valproic acid (VPA)-induced rat model of autism. Our results indicated that maternal exposure to VPA induces: (1) decrease the level of α/β-tubulin along with Tau accumulation in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex; (2) excessive Tau phosphorylation and activation of Tau-kinases: CDK5, ERK1/2, and p70S6K in the cerebral cortex; (3) up-regulation of mTOR kinase-dependent signalling in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of adolescent rat offspring. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining showed histopathological changes in neurons (chromatolysis) in both analysed brain structures of rats prenatally exposed to VPA. The observed changes in Tau protein together with an excessive decrease in α/β-tubulin level may suggest destabilization and thus dysfunction of the MT cytoskeleton network, which in consequence may lead to the disturbance in synaptic plasticity and the development of autistic-like behaviours.

Dysfunctional proteins in neuropsychiatric disorders: From neurodegeneration to autism spectrum disorders

Despite fundamental differences in disease course and outcomes, neurodevelopmental (autism spectrum disorders - ASD) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease - AD and Parkinson's disease - PD) present surprising, common traits in their molecular pathomechanisms. Uncontrolled oligomerization and aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ), microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau, or α-synuclein (α-syn) contribute to synaptic impairment and the ensuing neuronal death in both AD and PD. Likewise, the pathogenesis of ASD may be attributed, at least in part, to synaptic dysfunction; attention has also been recently paid to irregularities in the metabolism and function of the Aβ precursor protein (APP), tau, or α-syn. Commonly affected elements include signaling pathways that regulate cellular metabolism and survival such as insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) - PI3 kinase - Akt - mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and a number of key synaptic proteins critically involved in neuronal communication. Understanding how these shared pathomechanism elements operate in different conditions may help identify common targets and therapeutic approaches.

Primary care of children with autism spectrum disorders: Developing confident healthcare leaders

This series of articles aims to equip primary care providers (PCPs) with the tools to become healthcare leaders managing patients with pediatric autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD can experience optimal health outcomes when timely, evidence-based interventions are implemented in the primary care setting. PCPs are uniquely situated to institute changes that redirect the trajectory of ASD.

Prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with autism spectrum disorder: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

With ever-increasing prevalence of various mental disorders worldwide, a comprehensive evaluation of the prevalence of co-occurring psychiatric disorders among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is needed to strengthen the knowledge base. This umbrella review aims to summarize the current evidence on the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD. A systematic search of 12 major databases and additional sources was conducted. Any systematically conducted narrative, qualitative, or meta-analytic review reporting the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among people with ASD with no age or geographical restriction were included. From a total of 2755 records, 26 articles representing 14 systematic reviews and 12 meta-analyses met the criteria of this review. The synthesized findings reveal a high burden of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD, including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar and mood disorders, schizophrenia spectrum, suicidal behavior disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders amongst diverse age groups, with a majority in younger participants. Most studies were conducted in developed nations, with limited evidence from low and middle-income countries. These synthesized findings provide high-quality evidence for clinical and policy-level decision-making from a global overview of the status of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD.