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Purpura G, Petri S, Tancredi R, Tinelli F, Calderoni S. Haptic and visuo-haptic impairments for object recognition in children with autism spectrum disorder: focus on the sensory and multisensory processing dysfunctions. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1731-1744. [PMID: 38819648 PMCID: PMC11208199 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06855-2] [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: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Dysfunctions in sensory processing are widely described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although little is known about the developmental course and the impact of these difficulties on the learning processes during the preschool and school ages of ASD children. Specifically, as regards the interplay between visual and haptic information in ASD during developmental age, knowledge is very scarce and controversial. In this study, we investigated unimodal (visual and haptic) and cross-modal (visuo-haptic) processing skills aimed at object recognition through a behavioural paradigm already used in children with typical development (TD), with cerebral palsy and with peripheral visual impairments. Thirty-five children with ASD (age range: 5-11 years) and thirty-five age-matched and gender-matched typically developing peers were recruited. The procedure required participants to perform an object-recognition task relying on only the visual modality (black-and-white photographs), only the haptic modality (manipulation of real objects) and visuo-haptic transfer of these two types of information. Results are consistent with the idea that visuo-haptic transfer may be significantly worse in ASD children than in TD peers, leading to significant impairment in multisensory interactions for object recognition facilitation. Furthermore, ASD children tended to show a specific deficit in haptic information processing, while a similar trend of maturation of visual modality between the two groups is reported. This study adds to the current literature by suggesting that ASD differences in multisensory processes also regard visuo-haptic abilities necessary to identify and recognise objects of daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Purpura
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - S Petri
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - R Tancredi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - S Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy.
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Wu X, Dickin DC, Bassette L, Ashton C, Wang H. Clinical gait analysis in older children with autism spectrum disorder. SPORTS MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2024; 6:154-158. [PMID: 38708319 PMCID: PMC11067783 DOI: 10.1016/j.smhs.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit motor deficits that increase their risk of falls. There is a lack of understanding regarding gait biomechanics demonstrated by older children with ASD. The purpose of the study was to determine differences in gait patterns between older children with ASD and typically developing children. Eleven children with ASD and 11 age- and gender-matched typically developing children were recruited for the study. Participants walked on a force-instrumented treadmill at a constant speed (1.1 m/s - 1.2 m/s) for five minutes (min). Participants performed maximal voluntary contractions to assess their knee muscular strength. Differences between individuals with ASD and matched control participants were examined through paired t-tests with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Individuals with ASD demonstrated a smaller knee extensor torque compared to controls (p = 0.002). Participants with ASD exhibited a shorter stride length (p = 0.04), a greater cadence (p = 0.03), and a higher variation in stride width (p = 0.04) compared to control participants. The individuals with ASD experienced a greater braking ground reaction force (p = 0.03) during loading response. The results indicate older children with ASD develop a unique gait pattern signified by a reduced stride length, increased cadence, and an increase of variation in stride width. This unique gait pattern may represent a movement strategy used by the individuals with ASD to compensate for the weakness associated with their knee extensor muscles. Individuals with ASD who demonstrate these unique gait deviations may face reduced postural stability and an increased risk of fall-related injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Wu
- School of Kinesiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - D. Clark Dickin
- School of Kinesiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Laura Bassette
- Department of Special Education, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Caroline Ashton
- School of Kinesiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - He Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
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Valagussa G, Purpura G, Balatti V, Trentin L, Signori A, Grossi E. Quantitative assessment of tip-toe behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: A cross-sectional study. Autism Res 2024; 17:311-323. [PMID: 38108559 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3072] [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: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The term "toe walking" describes walking on the toes with a lack of heel strike upon initiation of the stance phase of gait. In individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this phenomenon, or "tip-toe behavior" (TTB), can be present in a substantial proportion of subjects even during standing. In this study, we investigated TTB in 50 persons with ASD (age range 4-26 years). We evaluated TTB through an observational/report-based assessment protocol. Subsequently, we employed a new structured video-based coding protocol based on standardized video recordings, focusing on static and dynamic conditions. Finally, the findings of the two protocols were compared. Twenty-four subjects with TTB were identified and classified according to three functional groups: TTB1, present only during running (6 subjects); TTB2, present during walking and running (11 subjects); and TTB3, present during standing, walking, and running (7 subjects). Moreover, we found that TTB3 subjects exhibited a significantly higher quantity of TTB compared with subjects in the TTB1 and TTB2 groups during both standing and walking tests. Additionally, a high quantity of TTB in the static test was found to be related to a high quantity of TTB in the dynamic test. Variables such as age, autism severity, intellectual disability, and gender were not significantly associated with the mean percent of TTB both in static and dynamic tests in multivariate analysis. This structured video-based coding approach appears feasible and useful for assessing TTB in individuals with ASD and it has the potential to provide insights into TTB trajectories and aid in designing possible interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Valagussa
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio (CO), Italy
| | - Giulia Purpura
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Balatti
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio (CO), Italy
| | - Luca Trentin
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio (CO), Italy
| | - Alessio Signori
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Biostatistics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Enzo Grossi
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio (CO), Italy
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Kononova S, Kashparov M, Xue W, Bobkova N, Leonov S, Zagorodny N. Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis as a Potential Risk Factor for Idiopathic Toe-Walking in Children: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13204. [PMID: 37686011 PMCID: PMC10488280 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713204] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) occurs in about 5% of children. Orthopedic treatment of ITW is complicated by the lack of a known etiology. Only half of the conservative and surgical methods of treatment give a stable positive result of normalizing gait. Available data indicate that the disease is heterogeneous and multifactorial. Recently, some children with ITW have been found to have genetic variants of mutations that can lead to the development of toe walking. At the same time, some children show sensorimotor impairment, but these studies are very limited. Sensorimotor dysfunction could potentially arise from an imbalanced production of neurotransmitters that play a crucial role in motor control. Using the data obtained in the studies of several pathologies manifested by the association of sensory-motor dysfunction and intestinal dysbiosis, we attempt to substantiate the notion that malfunction of neurotransmitter production is caused by the imbalance of gut microbiota metabolites as a result of dysbiosis. This review delves into the exciting possibility of a connection between variations in the microbiome and ITW. The purpose of this review is to establish a strong theoretical foundation and highlight the benefits of further exploring the possible connection between alterations in the microbiome and TW for further studies of ITW etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Kononova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Mikhail Kashparov
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 117198 Moscow, Russia; (M.K.); (N.Z.)
- Scientific and Practical Center for Child Psychoneurology, 119602 Moscow, Russia
| | - Wenyu Xue
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia; (W.X.); (S.L.)
| | - Natalia Bobkova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia;
| | - Sergey Leonov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia; (W.X.); (S.L.)
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia;
| | - Nikolaj Zagorodny
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 117198 Moscow, Russia; (M.K.); (N.Z.)
- N.N. Priorov Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, 127299 Moscow, Russia
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Previtali G, Lai CYY, Valvassori Bolgè M, Cavallini A, Nacinovich R, Piscitelli D, Purpura G. Sensory Modulation Abilities in Healthy Preterm-Born Children: An Observational Study Using the Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC). Biomedicines 2023; 11:2319. [PMID: 37626814 PMCID: PMC10452458 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate prematurity as a risk factor for sensory processing disorders, using the Italian Version of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC-IT), based on a sample of healthy Italian children born preterm in comparison with a sample of typical full-term children. Two groups of caregivers of Italian healthy preschooler children were recruited. The first group comprised 37 caregivers of full-term children (FT), while the second group consisted of 37 caregivers of preterm children (PT) (gestational age < 37 weeks). Significant differences between the groups in several subsections and factors of the SPSRC-IT were found, specifically in the Physiological Conditions section, in the Gustatory and Olfactory Sense section, in the Vestibular Sense section, and in the Proprioceptive Sense section, with lower scores in the PT group. Moreover, children born at a lower gestational age or with lower weights had a higher risk of dysfunctions in processing gustatory and olfactory, vestibular, and proprioceptive stimuli. In conclusion, the SPSRC-IT suggested a potential link between prematurity and challenges in the development of sensory processing and self-regulation skills, especially in children with a very low birth weight and very low gestational age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Previtali
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy (G.P.)
| | - Cynthia Y. Y. Lai
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | | | - Renata Nacinovich
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy (G.P.)
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Daniele Piscitelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy (G.P.)
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Giulia Purpura
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy (G.P.)
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