Review
Neurosciences
Maria J. Ayoub, Laura Keegan, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Simone V. Gill
Summary: Research suggests that neuroimaging can reliably identify structural and functional differences between autistic and non-autistic brains at an early stage. Neuroimaging methods can also be used to predict ASD diagnosis among high-risk infants and their developmental outcomes in later stages.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Fulceri, Letizia Gila, Angela Caruso, Martina Micai, Giovanna Romano, Maria Luisa Scattoni
Summary: An integrated plan within a defined care pathway is essential for the diagnosis, interventions, and redefinition of care of autistic people. Challenges include delivering services across all domains or life stages and effective coordination between providers and services. Research should prioritize the development of an integrated care pathway model centered around case management, individualization, support, and quality management.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Jonathan Cannon, Amanda M. O'Brien, Lindsay Bungert, Pawan Sinha
Summary: Researchers have proposed that differences in predictive skills between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical individuals may explain many features of ASD. Studies suggest that ASD may be linked to difficulties in learning predictive pairings (e.g., cause and effect) and low-level predictive processing in the brain (e.g., processing repeated sounds). These findings set the stage for further research to enhance understanding of ASD and guide interventions.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Frederic Dutheil, Aurelie Comptour, Roxane Morlon, Martial Mermillod, Bruno Pereira, Julien S. Baker, Morteza Charkhabi, Maelys Clinchamps, Nicolas Bourdel
Summary: Exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder in newborns, with PM2.5 showing the strongest impact. The most at-risk periods seem to be during pregnancy and the postnatal period.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zuzanna Lewandowska-Pietruszka, Magdalena Figlerowicz, Katarzyna Mazur-Melewska
Summary: This review examines the gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and interventions targeting microbiota modulation. The findings suggest that ASD children have microbiota alterations related to behavioral and gastrointestinal abnormalities. Probiotics and microbiota transfer therapy show promise in alleviating symptoms. However, further research is needed to determine their efficacy, and comprehensive standardized studies are required to understand the complex mechanisms linking the gut microbiota to ASD. Nonetheless, these findings offer potential therapeutic avenues for improving the quality of life for individuals with ASD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Priscila Kelly da Silva Bezerra do Nascimento, David Franciole Oliveira Silva, Tassia Louise Sousa Augusto de Morais, Adriana Augusto de Rezende
Summary: This review aimed to summarize scientific evidence on the relationship between zinc status and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents. A total of 52 studies were included, with 19 studies showing lower zinc concentrations in the ASD group. However, overall, there was no significant difference in zinc concentrations between children and adolescents with ASD compared to controls. More prospective studies with greater methodological rigor are needed to further characterize this relationship.
Article
Pediatrics
Kyle J. Steinman, Wendy L. Stone, Lisa Ibanez, Shana M. Attar
Summary: This intervention effectively increased primary care providers' ASD screening rates at 18 months and their self-efficacy in caring for children with ASD. Combining educational information with a web-based screening tool can improve universal ASD screening rates with improved accuracy.
ACADEMIC PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Review
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Ana Paula de Carvalho, Camila S. S. Braz, Sibele M. M. dos Santos, Renato A. C. Ferreira, Raquel O. O. Prates
Summary: This systematic literature review explores the potential of serious games for the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The review categorizes games based on the skills they aim to develop, their activities, and customization options. The review finds that there are many serious games focused on developing social and socio-emotional skills for ASD children. The study also identifies different strategies and features adopted in the games. The review suggests that offering more customization options can enhance the applicability and utility of serious games for ASD children.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
(2023)
Review
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Rita Francese, Xiaomin Yang
Summary: The systematic review examines the current research on autism spectrum disorder individuals and highlights limitations such as lack of participants, datasets, and experimentation in real contexts. The results may aid in improving machine learning techniques and exploring the use of noninvasive sensors in experimentation.
COMPLEX & INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Iti Arora, Alessio Bellato, Danielle Ropar, Chris Hollis, Madeleine J. Groom
Summary: The findings suggest that differences in autonomic arousal during resting-state exist in autistic individuals, with 60.8% of studies finding evidence of group differences between neurotypical and autistic participants. While hyperarousal was more common, hypo-arousal and autonomic dysregulation were also consistently present.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Pediatrics
Lorenzo Desideri, Patricia Perez-Fuster, Gerardo Herrera
Summary: This systematic review identifies recent digital technologies used in detecting early signs of autism spectrum disorder in preschool children. The study suggests that these technologies hold promise as supports in clinical practice, but further research is needed to understand their acceptability and increase usage rates in clinical settings.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Tamara May, Pamela D. Pilkington, Rita Younan, Katrina Williams
Summary: The study systematically reviewed the overlap between ASD and BPD, finding similarities in prevalence and clinical characteristics. Despite most samples being small and clinically ascertained, with potential bias, the prevalence of BPD in ASD was approximately 4% and ASD in BPD was about 3%. Neurocognitive differences may explain similar behavioral symptoms, highlighting the need for further research using larger, well-validated samples.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
James T. Nugent, Christine Bakhoum, Lama Ghazi, Jason H. Greenberg
Summary: This study compares the frequency of hypertension screening at health maintenance visits between children with and without autism.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Aline Barros, Paulo Mascarenhas, Joao Botelho, Vanessa Machado, Gabriela Balixa, Luisa Bandeira Lopes
Summary: Studies comparing the prevalence of malocclusion in individuals with ASD and healthy controls showed inconsistent results, with significant heterogeneity and moderate risk of bias. It is inconclusive whether individuals with ASD are at risk of malocclusion. Future research should focus on strict criteria in sample selection, control group choice, and diagnosis of malocclusion to ensure greater methodological quality.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Rana Fetit, Robert F. Hillary, David J. Price, Stephen M. Lawrie
Summary: Post-mortem studies of individuals with autism have revealed consistent abnormalities in brain tissue, such as reduced minicolumn numbers and aberrant myelination. Transcriptomics consistently implicate abnormalities in synaptic, metabolic, proliferation, apoptosis, and immune pathways in autism pathogenesis. Larger studies are needed to further investigate these findings and potential treatments.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)