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Moerman F, Warreyn P, Noens I, Steyaert J, van Esch L, de Vries L, Madarevic M, Segers J, Van Lierde T, Roeyers H. Exploring cascading effects of sensory processing on language skills and social-communicative difficulties through play in young children at elevated likelihood for autism. INFANCY 2024. [PMID: 39382140 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the association between Sensory processing (SP) (i.e., hyporesponsiveness, Sensory Seeking (SS) and hyperresponsiveness) at 10 months (M) and language/social-communicative difficulties at 24M, mediated through object play at 14M in young children at elevated likelihood for autism (EL). Parent-report instruments were used to measure all variables in younger siblings of children with autism (siblings, n = 74) and children born before 30 gestational weeks (preterms, n = 38). Higher scores of object play fully mediated the association between more SS and better language/less social-communicative difficulties. Hypo- and hyperresponsiveness at 10M did not seem to predict language heterogeneity at 24M, but more hypo- and less hyperresponsiveness at 10M were associated with more social-communicative difficulties at 24M. The explained variance in social-communicative difficulties and language was limited (15.25%-16.39%). Similar associations were found for siblings and preterms. This highlights that high frequency of SP behaviors does not necessarily negatively affect communication in young EL-children as is commonly assumed. Early object play skills play a role in the association between early SS and later language/social communicative difficulties. This implies that some criteria of the two core domains of characteristics of autism are interrelated in EL-children, and this may have implications for early intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor Moerman
- Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL) UGent, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra Warreyn
- Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL) UGent, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ilse Noens
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lotte van Esch
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lyssa de Vries
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Melinda Madarevic
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Segers
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thijs Van Lierde
- Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL) UGent, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Herbert Roeyers
- Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL) UGent, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Narvekar N, Carter Leno V, Pasco G, Begum Ali J, Johnson MH, Charman T, Jones EJH. The roles of sensory hyperreactivity and hyporeactivity in understanding infant fearfulness and emerging autistic traits. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:1022-1036. [PMID: 38172076 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13941] [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] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Existing evidence indicates that atypical sensory reactivity is a core characteristic of autism, and has been linked to both anxiety (and its putative infant precursor of fearfulness) and repetitive behaviours. However, most work has used cross-sectional designs and not considered the differential roles of hyperreactivity and hyporeactivity to sensory inputs, and is thus limited in specificity. METHODS 161 infants with and without an elevated likelihood of developing autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were followed from 10 to 36 months of age. Parents rated an infant precursor of later anxiety (fearfulness) using the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire at 10 and 14 months, and the Early Childhood Behavioural Questionnaire at 24 months, and sensory hyperreactivity and hyporeactivity at 10, 14 and 24 months using the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile. Domains of autistic traits (restrictive and repetitive behaviours; RRB, and social communication interaction, SCI) were assessed using the parent-rated Social Responsiveness Scale at 36 months. Cross-lagged models tested (a) paths between fearfulness and hyperreactivity at 10-24 months, and from fearfulness and hyperreactivity to later autism traits, (b) the specificity of hyperreactivity effects by including hyporeactivity as a correlated predictor. RESULTS Hyperreactivity at 14 months was positively associated with fearfulness at 24 months, and hyperreactivity at 24 months was positively associated with SCI and RRB at 36 months. When hyporeactivity was included in the model, paths between hyperreactivity and fearfulness remained, but paths between hyperreactivity and autistic traits became nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that alterations in early sensory reactivity may increase the likelihood of showing fearfulness in infancy, and relate to later social interactions and repetitive behaviours, particularly in individuals with a family history of autism or ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Narvekar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Virginia Carter Leno
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, London, UK
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Leoni M, Vanes LD, Hadaya L, Kanel D, Dazzan P, Simonoff E, Counsell SJ, Happé F, Edwards AD, Nosarti C. Exploring cognitive, behavioral and autistic trait network topology in very preterm and term-born children. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1119196. [PMID: 37187563 PMCID: PMC10176608 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1119196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Compared to full-term (FT) born peers, children who were born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestation) are likely to display more cognitive and behavioral difficulties, including inattention, anxiety and socio-communication problems. In the published literature, such difficulties tend to be studied independently, thus failing to account for how different aspects of child development interact. The current study aimed to investigate children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes as interconnected, dynamically related facets of development that influence one another. Methods Participants were 93 VPT and 55 FT children (median age 8.79 years). IQ was evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th edition (WISC-IV), autism spectrum condition (ASC) traits with the social responsiveness scale-2nd edition (SRS-2), behavioral and emotional problems with the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), temperament with the temperament in middle childhood questionnaire (TMCQ) and executive function with the behavior rating inventory of executive functioning (BRIEF-2). Outcome measures were studied in VPT and FT children using Network Analysis, a method that graphically represents partial correlations between variables and yields information on each variable's propensity to form a bridge between other variables. Results VPT and FT children exhibited marked topological differences. Bridges (i.e., the variables most connected to others) in the VPT group network were: conduct problems and difficulties with organizing and ordering their environment. In the FT group network, the most important bridges were: difficulties with initiating a task or activity and prosocial behaviors, and greater emotional problems, such as lower mood. Discussion These findings highlight the importance of targeting different aspects of development to support VPT and FT children in person-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marguerite Leoni
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & 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
| | - Lucy D. Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & 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
| | - Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & 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
| | - Dana Kanel
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & 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
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Happé
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A. David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & 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
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Unwin KL, Barbaro J, Uljarevic M, Hussain A, Chetcuti M, Lane AE. The Sensory Observation Autism Rating Scale (SOAR): Developed using the PROMIS® framework. Autism Res 2023; 16:617-629. [PMID: 36565256 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2881] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Autistic people experience the sensory world differently, impacting behavior. First-hand accounts and group-based research have found that sensory differences impact a range of things including family life, anxiety, participation, and daily living. Early sensory differences are widely reported to be associated with a cascade of developmental difference, suggesting that early autism diagnosis and sensory mapping could enable the provision of supports to facilitate flourishing. However, appropriate measurement tools are not available as all rely on proxy report or are observation measures which include limited modalities or domains and require the administration of stimuli. Therefore, following the gold-standard recommendations for measurement development outlined by the PROMIS® framework, we created the Sensory Observation Autism Rating scale (SOAR). We identified sensory behaviors across all primary domains and modalities through an extensive autism-sensory literature review and from focus groups with autism stakeholders. The initial item bank was then refined by an expert panel and through video coding five-minutes of free play from Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule assessments of 105 age- and gender-matched autistic and developmentally delayed children (aged 13-36 months; 38 female). An additional 25% of the sample were double coded to investigate interrater reliability. Observational data and expert review supported the reduction of the item bank to 37 items. We propose that the refined SOAR has excellent face and ecological validity, along with interrater reliability (Intraclass correlation = 0.87-0.99). Following further data collection and refinement, SOAR has promise to fully characterize sensory behaviors in autistic children and indicate useful supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy L Unwin
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Josephine Barbaro
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mirko Uljarevic
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Azul Hussain
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Madison Chetcuti
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison E Lane
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Zayan U, Caccialupi Da Prato L, Muscatelli F, Matarazzo V. Modulation of the thermosensory system by oxytocin. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1075305. [PMID: 36698777 PMCID: PMC9868264 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1075305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone involved early in neurodevelopment and is implicated in multiple functions, including sensory modulation. Evidence of such modulation has been observed for different sensory modalities in both healthy and pathological conditions. This review summarizes the pleiotropic modulation that OT can exercise on an often overlooked sensory system: thermosensation. This system allows us to sense temperature variations and compensate for the variation to maintain a stable core body temperature. Oxytocin modulates autonomic and behavioral mechanisms underlying thermoregulation at both central and peripheral levels. Hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity for different sensory modalities, including thermosensitivity, is a common feature in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recapitulated in several ASD mouse models. These sensory dysregulations occur early in post-natal development and are correlated with dysregulation of the oxytocinergic system. In this study, we discussed the potential link between thermosensory atypia and the dysregulation of the oxytocinergic system in ASD.
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Anquetil M, Roche-Labarbe N, Rossi S. Tactile sensory processing as a precursor of executive attention: Toward early detection of attention impairments and neurodevelopmental disorders. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022:e1640. [PMID: 36574728 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies in developmental neuroscience tend to show the existence of neural attention networks from birth. Their construction is based on the first sensory experiences that allow us to learn the patterns of the world surrounding us and preserve our limited attentional resources. Touch is the first sensory modality to develop, although it is still little studied in developmental psychology in contrast to distal modalities such as audition or vision. Atypical tactile sensory processing at an early age could predict later attention dysfunction, both of them being part of the symptomatology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). We review the state of knowledge on tactile sensory processing and its links with attention, executive attention (EA) in particular, and propose that abnormal tactile sensory processing at an early age could provide markers of EA dysfunctions, contributing to the early detection of NDD. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention.
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Pham C, Desmarais E, Jones V, French BF, Wang Z, Putnam S, Casalin S, Linhares MBM, Lecannelier F, Tuovinen S, Heinonen K, Raikkonen K, Montirosso R, Giusti L, Park SY, Han SY, Lee EG, Huitron B, de Weerth C, Beijers R, Majdandžić M, Gonzalez-Salinas C, Acar I, Slobodskaya H, Kozlova E, Ahmetoglu E, Benga O, Gartstein MA. Relations between bedtime parenting behaviors and temperament across 14 cultures. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1004082. [PMID: 36507001 PMCID: PMC9731114 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1004082] [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: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The present study examined parental sleep-supporting practices during toddlerhood in relation to temperament across 14 cultures. We hypothesized that passive sleep-supporting techniques (e.g., talking, cuddling), but not active techniques (e.g., walking, doing an activity together), would be associated with less challenging temperament profiles: higher Surgency (SUR) and Effortful Control (EC) and lower Negative Emotionality (NE), with fine-grained dimensions exhibiting relationships consistent with their overarching factors (e.g., parallel passive sleep-supporting approach effects for dimensions of NE). Methods Caregivers (N = 841) across 14 cultures (M = 61 families per site) reported toddler (between 17 and 40 months of age; 52% male) temperament and sleep-supporting activities. Utilizing linear multilevel regression models and group-mean centering procedures, we assessed the role of between- and within-cultural variance in sleep-supporting practices in relation to temperament. Results Both within-and between-culture differences in passive sleep-supporting techniques were associated with temperament attributes, (e.g., lower NE at the between-culture level; higher within-culture EC). For active techniques only within-culture effects were significant (e.g., demonstrating a positive association with NE). Adding sleep-supporting behaviors to the regression models accounted for significantly more between-culture temperament variance than child age and gender alone. Conclusion Hypotheses were largely supported. Findings suggest parental sleep practices could be potential targets for interventions to mitigate risk posed by challenging temperament profiles (e.g., reducing active techniques that are associated with greater distress proneness and NE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie Pham
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Christie Pham,
| | - Eric Desmarais
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Victoria Jones
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Brian F. French
- College of Education, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Zhengyan Wang
- College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Sara Casalin
- Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Soile Tuovinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Department of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kati Heinonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Department of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Katri Raikkonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Centre for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Lecco, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Giusti
- 0-3 Centre for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Lecco, Italy
| | - Seong-Yeon Park
- Department of Child Development, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sae-Young Han
- Department of Child Development, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eun Gyoung Lee
- Department of Child Development, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul, South Korea,Ewha Social Science Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Blanca Huitron
- Department of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, México City, Mexico
| | - Carolina de Weerth
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Roseriet Beijers
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands,Department of Developmental Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Mirjana Majdandžić
- Department of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Ibrahim Acar
- Department of Psychology, Özyeğin University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Helena Slobodskaya
- Research Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Kozlova
- Research Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Emine Ahmetoglu
- Department of Early Childhood Education, Trakya University in Edirne, Edirne, Turkey
| | - Oana Benga
- Department of Psychology, Babes Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria A. Gartstein
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Narvekar N, Carter Leno V, Pasco G, Johnson MH, Jones EJH, Charman T. A prospective study of associations between early fearfulness and perceptual sensitivity and later restricted and repetitive behaviours in infants with typical and elevated likelihood of autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:1947-1958. [PMID: 35021899 PMCID: PMC9597143 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211068932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Restricted interests and repetitive behaviours are central to the diagnosis of autism and can have profound effects on daily activities and quality of life. These challenges are also linked to other co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and sensory sensitivities. Here, we looked at whether early emerging signs of anxiety and sensory problems appear before symptoms of autism by studying infants with a family history of autism, as these infants are more likely to develop autism themselves. Studying infant siblings provides an opportunity for researchers to focus on early developmental markers of autism as these infants can be followed from birth. This study found that early infant signs of anxiety (e.g. fear/shyness) predicted later perceptual sensitivity, and those infants who scored higher on fear/shyness and sensitivity were more likely to experience more persistent repetitive behaviours, but also social and communication difficulties in toddlerhood. Early signs of anxiety and perceptual sensitivity may thus relate to both later social difficulties and repetitive behaviours. These findings support the importance of further research exploring the causal links between these domains in relation to autism, resulting in increased understanding of children who go onto develop autism in the future and guiding early interventions and supports.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark H Johnson
- Birkbeck, University of London,
UK
- University of Cambridge, UK
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Early signs of autism in infants whose mothers suffered from a threatened preterm labour: a 30-month prospective follow-up study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 31:1-13. [PMID: 33689027 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01749-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Infants born after a threatened preterm labour (TPL infants) are at high risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studying this population may provide insight on the pathophysiological underpinnings of this condition. This study aimed to (i) ascertain the presence and autistic symptom load in TPL infants aged age 30 months relative to non-TPL infants, regardless of preterm birth; (ii) explore the association between early (at 6 months) psychomotor development and temperament features with the autistic symptom load of TPL infants at age 30 months and (iii) examine the association among perinatal risk factors for ASD development with the autistic symptom load of TPL infants at age 30 months. A group of 111 mother-infant pairs recruited at TPL diagnosis and a group of 47 healthy mother-infant controls completed the follow-up. Irrespective of preterm birth, TPL infants showed higher autistic symptom load at age 30 months than non-TPL infants. TPL infants presented poorer communication and problem-solving skills, reduced smiling and laughter, and greater vocal reactivity at age 6 months, predicting higher autistic symptom load at age 30 months. Higher levels of anxiety symptoms in TPL mothers after a TPL diagnosis also predicted higher autistic symptom load for the infants at age 30 months. These results suggest that TPL infants may be an undescribed cluster, with features that differentiate them from other "at-risk" populations. These findings support the need for routine assessment of TPL infants and screening of anxiety symptoms in mothers.
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Roeyers H. Prospective longitudinal research in infants at elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder. ENFANCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3917/enf2.213.0277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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