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López-Zamora M, Cano-Villagrasa A, Cortés-Ramos A, Porcar-Gozalbo N. The Influence of Sleep Disorders on Neurobiological Structures and Cognitive Processes in Pediatric Population with ASD and Epilepsy: A Systematic Review. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2023; 13:2358-2372. [PMID: 37998056 PMCID: PMC10670909 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe13110166] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and epilepsy are increasingly prevalent comorbidities in our society. These two disorders are often accompanied by other comorbidities, such as sleep disorders, significantly impacting the quality of life of individuals with ASD and epilepsy. To date, clinical approaches have primarily been descriptive in nature. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between ASD, epilepsy, and sleep disorders, exploring neurobiological dysfunctions and cognitive alterations. A total of 22 scientific articles were selected using a systematic literature review following the criteria established using the PRISMA model. The selected articles were gathered from major databases: Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria specified that study participants had an official diagnosis of ASD, the article precisely described the evaluation parameters used in the study participants, and individual characteristics of the sleep disorders of the study participants were specified. The results indicate, firstly, that the primary cause of sleep disorders in this population is directly linked to abnormal serotonin behaviors. Secondly, significant alterations in memory, attention, and hyperactivity were observed. In conclusion, sleep disorders negatively impact the quality of life and neurocognitive development of the pediatric population with ASD and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel López-Zamora
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain;
| | - Alejandro Cano-Villagrasa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de Valencia, 46002 Valencia, Spain;
- Health Sciences PhD Program, Universidad Católica de Murcia UCAM, Campus de los Jerónimos n°135, Guadalupe, 30107 Murcia, Spain
| | - Antonio Cortés-Ramos
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational and Sports Sciences of Melilla, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Nadia Porcar-Gozalbo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de Valencia, 46002 Valencia, Spain;
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2
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Paudel R, Singh S. Selection of Young Animal Models of Autism over Adult: Benefits and Limitations. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2023; 57:697-712. [PMID: 33447895 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-020-09595-4] [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: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental broad-spectrum disorder characterized by social interaction, and aberrant restrictive and repetitive behavior. The complex pathophysiology and unexplored drug targets make it difficult to standardize and validate the animal models of autism. The review was purposed for determining the benefits of younger animal models over adult models of autism. Similarly, animal models with respect to age, sex, body weight, number of animals used, along with autism inducing agents have been reviewed in this article. The differentiation of behavioral parameters has shown the benefits in the selection of younger animal models. Thus, we conclude that young and adolescence animal models of autism will be supporting for early detection and interventions with significant results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raju Paudel
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
| | - Shamsher Singh
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India.
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3
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Toscano CVA, Ferreira JP, Quinaud RT, Silva KMN, Carvalho HM, Gaspar JM. Exercise improves the social and behavioral skills of children and adolescent with autism spectrum disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1027799. [PMID: 36620673 PMCID: PMC9813515 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1027799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Currently, there is no standard treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but there are many ways to minimize the symptoms and maximize abilities. Some studies suggest that exercise and other physical activities with children with ASD may be beneficial. In this study, we hypothesized that a physical exercise program (48-week exercise-intervention) could improve symptomatology dyad among children and adolescents with ASD. Our main aim was to examine the effects of physical activity on the primary clinical symptoms and associated comorbidities in children and adolescents with ASD. Methods We allocated 229 children with ASD, ranging in age from 2.3-17.3 years (M = 7.8, SD = 3.2), into three groups: (a) exercise- intervention group, (b) control group from the same institution, and (c) control group from another institution. The exercise program was performed at moderate intensity in a 30 min section twice a week for 48 weeks. We used Bayesian multilevel regression modeling to examine participant outcomes and responses to the exercise-intervention. Results Our results showed that a 48-week exercise-intervention substantially decreased ASD social interaction problems, attention deficit, emotional reactivity, stereotypical verbal and motor behavior, and sleep disturbances. However, physical exercise did not affect eye contact and food selectivity. We also observed that ASD severity and socioeconomic status influence eye contact, attention deficit, and sleep disturbance responses. Conclusion In conclusion, children and adolescents with ASD exposed to a 48-week physical exercise-intervention program had important improvements in ASD symptoms. This study highlights that structured exercise programs can be a powerful complementary therapy for the ASD population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrystiane V. A. Toscano
- Institute of Physical Education and Sport, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - José P. Ferreira
- Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ricardo T. Quinaud
- Department of Physical Education, School of Sports, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Keity M. N. Silva
- Physical Education Service, Unified Center for Integration and Development of Autism, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Humberto M. Carvalho
- Department of Physical Education, School of Sports, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Joana M. Gaspar
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Grossi E, Caminada E, Goffredo M, Vescovo B, Castrignano T, Piscitelli D, Valagussa G, Franceschini M, Vanzulli F. Patterns of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Video Recording Study. Preliminary Report. Brain Sci 2021; 11:678. [PMID: 34064245 PMCID: PMC8224357 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several instruments have been proposed to investigate restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Systematic video observations may overcome questionnaire and interview limitations to investigate RRBs. This study aimed to analyze stereotypic patterns through video recordings and to determine the correlation between the number and appearance of RRBs to ASD severity. METHODS Twenty health professionals wearing a body cam recorded 780 specific RRBs during everyday activities of 67 individuals with ASD (mean age: 14.2 ± 3.72 years) for three months. Each stereotypy was classified according to its complexity pattern (i.e., simple or complex) based on body parts and sensory channels involved. RESULTS The RRBs spectrum for each subject ranged from one to 33 different patterns (mean: 11.6 ± 6.82). Individuals with a lower number of stereotypies shown a lower ASD severity compared to subjects with a higher number of stereotypies (p = 0.044). No significant differences were observed between individuals exhibiting simple (n = 40) and complex patterns (n = 27) of stereotypies on ASD severity, age, sex, and the number of stereotypes. CONCLUSIONS This study represents the first attempt to systematically document expression patterns of RRBs with a data-driven approach. This may provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology and management of RRBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Grossi
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
| | - Elisa Caminada
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
| | - Michela Goffredo
- Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory, Department of Neurological and Rehabilitation Sciences, IRCSS San Raffaele Pisana, 00163 Rome, Italy;
| | - Beatrice Vescovo
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
| | - Tristana Castrignano
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
| | - Daniele Piscitelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy;
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Giulio Valagussa
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy;
| | - Marco Franceschini
- Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory, Department of Neurological and Rehabilitation Sciences, IRCSS San Raffaele Pisana, 00163 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele University, 00163 Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Vanzulli
- Autism Research Unit, “Villa Santa Maria” Foundation, 22038 Tavernerio, Italy; (E.G.); (E.C.); (B.V.); (T.C.); (G.V.); (F.V.)
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The Route to Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Pediatric Practice in Bulgaria. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11010106. [PMID: 33440823 PMCID: PMC7827839 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11010106] [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: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before the age of three years is a challenge. Analyzing the present practice may help reaching that goal. Aim: To investigate developmental abnormalities and diagnostic pathway of ASD patients in pediatric practice. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of 192 children aged 13 months to 17 years 11 months (average 4 years 9 months), investigated in an outpatient and hospital setting from January 2015 to June 2018 by a semi-structured history and clinical examination, and diagnosed with ASD by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Results: Behavioral peculiarities were detected in the history of the first two years of life in 74.8% of the subjects. The first developmental abnormalities were noticed by the parents at ages from 8 to 36 months (mean 15.6 months) and were predominantly in speech (in 94.6%) and non-verbal communication (11.3%). Developmental regression was reported in 42.1% of the patients occurring between the ages of 6 and 50 months (mean 17.9 months), affecting most commonly speech (88.4% of cases), non-verbal communication (29.2%), and behavior (12.8%). By history, the first manifestations of ASD were noticed at ages from 8 months to 84 months (mean 18.5 months), and were disorders of expressive speech (in 66.7% of cases), receptive speech (in 45.8%), non-verbal communication (35.4%), behavior (27.6%), play (8.9%), socialization (5.7%), and joint attention (2.1%). The most common motive for specialized consultation was delay in language development—in 84.6% of children. The age of ASD diagnosis varied between 12 and 132 months (mean 39.7 months), and the time period between first ASD manifestations and diagnosis was in the range of 0 to 79 months (mean 23.3 months). Many symptoms of abnormal social communication, unnoticed by parents, were detected objectively in more than 95% of the cases—absent or rare spontaneous or reciprocal smile; lack of sharing of interest or affect; abnormal eye contact; lack of finger pointing; lack of gaze to a pointed object; poor facial expressions; lack of imaginary play, etc. Conclusions: Almost two years are needed for diagnosing abnormal development in other domains besides speech in ASD patients. Diagnosis before the age of three years can be achieved by focusing parents’ and pediatricians’ attention on social communication and behavior in patients with speech delay or developmental regression.
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Xu XJ, Cai XE, Meng FC, Song TJ, Wang XX, Wei YZ, Zhai FJ, Long B, Wang J, You X, Zhang R. Comparison of the Metabolic Profiles in the Plasma and Urine Samples Between Autistic and Typically Developing Boys: A Preliminary Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:657105. [PMID: 34149478 PMCID: PMC8211775 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.657105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder which is caused by genetic and environmental risk factors. Besides the core behavioral symptoms, accumulated results indicate children with ASD also share some metabolic abnormalities. Objectives: To analyze the comprehensive metabolic profiles in both of the first-morning urine and plasma samples collected from the same cohort of autistic boys. Methods: In this study, 30 autistic boys and 30 tightly matched healthy control (HC) boys (age range: 2.4~6.7 years) were recruited. First-morning urine and plasma samples were collected and the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was applied to obtain the untargeted metabolic profiles. The acquired data were processed by multivariate analysis and the screened metabolites were grouped by metabolic pathway. Results: Different discriminating metabolites were found in plasma and urine samples. Notably, taurine and catechol levels were decreased in urine but increased in plasma in the same cohort of ASD children. Enriched pathway analysis revealed that perturbations in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism could be found in both of the plasma and urine samples. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that a series of common metabolic perturbations exist in children with ASD, and confirmed the importance to have a comprehensive analysis of the metabolites in different biological samples to reveal the full picture of the complex metabolic patterns associated with ASD. Further targeted analyses are needed to validate these results in a larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Jie Xu
- Medical Science Research Center, Research Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Scientific Research, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-E Cai
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fan-Chao Meng
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tian-Jia Song
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,Peking University McGovern Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Xi Wang
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Zhen Wei
- Department of Education, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fu-Jun Zhai
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Long
- Medical Science Research Center, Research Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Scientific Research, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biomedicine and Biopharmacology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin You
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Ferrara R, Nappo R, Ansermet F, Ricci P, Massoni F, Carbone G, Sparaci A, Nonnis E, Ricci L, Ricci S. The Impact of
DSM-5
on the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Psychiatr Ann 2021. [DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20201205-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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8
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Grayaa S, Zerbinati C, Messedi M, HadjKacem I, Chtourou M, Ben Touhemi D, Naifar M, Ayadi H, Ayedi F, Iuliano L. Plasma oxysterol profiling in children reveals 24-hydroxycholesterol as a potential marker for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Biochimie 2018; 153:80-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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