Article
Psychology, Developmental
Carla B. Kalvin, Theresa R. Gladstone, Rebecca Jordan, Sonia Rowley, Carolyn L. Marsh, Karim Ibrahim, Denis G. Sukhodolsky
Summary: Irritability is a common problem in children with ASD, where anxiety and noncompliance both contribute to irritability. The ARI is likely to be a useful measure of irritability in children with ASD.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Yuna Sugimoto, Kayo Yamamura, Tomoyo Takayama, Yasuhiko Fukuta, Kazuo Aoki, Katsunaka Mikami, Akemi Tomoda
Summary: The study demonstrated that aripiprazole was well tolerated and effective in treating irritability associated with ASD in pediatric patients in real-world clinical practice in Japan, with a high continuation rate of treatment and relatively low occurrence of adverse drug reactions.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lauren B. Quetsch, Cynthia Brown, Harlee Onovbiona, Rebecca Bradley, Lindsey Aloia, Stephen Kanne
Summary: Up to half of autistic youth experience challenges with aggression, yet the prevalence and characteristics of aggressive behaviors in autistic development are poorly understood due to a lack of comparison with non-autistic youth samples. This study aimed to address this gap by comparing autistic children (N=450) with non-autistic children (N=432) on caregiver-reported measures of aggressive behavior and related constructs across different developmental periods. The findings showed higher levels of verbal aggression and behavioral intensity in autistic youth, as well as more significant physical aggression in autistic children below the age of 6 compared to their non-autistic peers.
Editorial Material
Psychology, Developmental
Erin Henneberry, Martine Lamy, Kelli C. Dominick, Craig A. Erickson
Summary: Drug treatment research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has made significant progress in recent decades, particularly in improving the ability to treat behavioral challenges. However, there are still unmet medical needs, such as the lack of approved drug therapies for the core symptoms of autism.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Han Yan, Lior M. Elkaim, Flavia Venetucci Gouveia, Joelene F. Huber, Jurgen Germann, Aaron Loh, Juan Carlos Benedetti-Isaac, Paresh K. Doshi, Cristina V. Torres, David J. Segar, Gavin J. B. Elias, Alexandre Boutet, G. Rees Cosgrove, Alfonso Fasano, Andres M. Lozano, Abhaya V. Kulkarni, George M. Ibrahim
Summary: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may exhibit extreme behaviors that are difficult to control through medication or behavioral interventions. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical alternative that modulates brain circuits. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence for the use of DBS in treating extreme behaviors associated with ASD, identifying key circuits common to DBS targets through network mapping.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ramkumar Aishworiya, Tatiana Valica, Randi Hagerman, Bibiana Restrepo
Summary: While behavioral interventions remain the primary treatment for autism spectrum disorder, new targeted treatments addressing the underlying neurophysiology have emerged. These treatments show promise in effectively addressing the core symptoms of autism and may also target genetic mechanisms associated with the disorder. This article provides a review of current pharmacological treatments for autism and explores upcoming targeted approaches in autism management.
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Gonzalo Salazar de Pablo, Carolina Pastor Jorda, Julio Vaquerizo-Serrano, Carmen Moreno, Anna Cabras, Celso Arango, Patricia Hernandez, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, Emily Simonoff, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Paramala Santosh, Samuele Cortese, Mara Parellada
Summary: This meta-analysis found that antipsychotics and medications used to treat ADHD were significantly better than placebo in improving emotional dysregulation and irritability in individuals with ASD. Specifically, risperidone and aripiprazole showed efficacy in short-term treatment. However, other drug classes did not show evidence of efficacy. Lower efficacy was associated with comorbid epilepsy.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Seiya Noda, Ayuka Murakami, Seigo Kimura, Makoto Minamiyama, Masahisa Katsuno, Satoshi Kuru
Summary: This case report highlights the successful treatment of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient with autism spectrum disorder using aripiprazole. The patient was diagnosed with DMD at a young age and later experienced severe psychotic symptoms during adolescence, which were effectively managed with aripiprazole treatment.
Article
Neurosciences
Dimitrios Papadopoulos
Summary: This study investigated the experiences of mothers raising children with ASD in Greece, revealing that they face emotional, family, and social burdens, experiencing stress, sadness, and vulnerability. The findings provide valuable insight for researchers, clinicians, mental health providers, and policy makers to support families caring for children with ASD.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masud Rabbani, Munirul M. Haque, Dipranjan Das Dipal, Md Ishrak Islam Zarif, Anik Iqbal, Amy Schwichtenberg, Naveen Bansal, Tanjir Rashid Soron, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral patterns of children with ASD during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, and found that support in the areas of problematic behavior could mitigate future risks.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Cynthia E. Brown, Lauren B. Quetsch, Lindsey S. Aloia, Stephen M. Kanne
Summary: This study examined the relationship between aggression, disruptive behavior, and anger dysregulation in youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and various factors such as demographics, individual youth functioning, caregiver stress, and family warmth. The results showed that these behaviors were significantly influenced by shared variables related to demographics, individual youth factors, and caregiver stress. The implications of these findings for treatment and future research are discussed.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Tuba Mutluer, Herdem Aslan Genc, Aslihan oezcan Morey, Hale Yapici Eser, Beliz Ertinmaz, Merve Can, Kerim Munir
Summary: This study investigated the co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), finding that the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in population-based studies is lower than in clinical and referred samples, but still considerable. There is a need for better targeted diagnostic tools in future population-based studies.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Kimberly L. H. Carpenter, Naomi O. Davis, Marina Spanos, Maura Sabatos-DeVito, Rachel Aiello, Grace T. Baranek, Scott N. Compton, Helen L. Egger, Lauren Franz, Soo-Jeong Kim, Bryan H. King, Alexander Kolevzon, Christopher J. McDougle, Kevin Sanders, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, Linmarie Sikich, Scott H. Kollins, Geraldine Dawson
Summary: This study examined the relationships between irritability, ADHD symptoms, and adaptive behavior in autistic children. The results suggest a link between higher levels of irritability and differences in social adaptive behavior.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Melissa Mulraney, Timothy J. Silk, Alisha Gulenc, Daryl Efron, Philip Hazell, Emma Sciberras
Summary: The study found that one in five children with ADHD continued to meet diagnostic criteria for DMDD three years later.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chuanchuan Wang, Weixuan Chen, Yishan Jiang, Xiao Xiao, Qianhui Zou, Jiarui Liang, Yu Zhao, Qianxu Wang, Tian Yuan, Rui Guo, Xuebo Liu, Zhigang Liu
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms may be improved through modulation of gut microbiota. This study investigated the effects of a synbiotic treatment on an ASD-like mouse model, and found that it rectified social impairments, attenuated inflammatory cytokine expressions, protected gut barrier integrity, and altered gut microbiota composition. The synbiotic treatment elevated beneficial metabolites and upregulated genes associated with their synthesis. Overall, the synbiotic combination mitigated ASD-related social impairments through regulation of the gut-brain axis.
