Review
Neurosciences
Sabiha Alam, Cara J. Westmark, Elizabeth A. McCullagh
Summary: The history of using diet to treat diseases dates back to around 400 BC when starvation was used for reducing seizures in people with epilepsy. Due to the diverse nature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and the lack of effective disorder-specific treatments, this review article summarizes the findings of nutritional studies in ASDs. It focuses on Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of autism, and the ketogenic diet, along with other dietary interventions. The article also discusses the relationship between gut microbiota, prebiotic, and probiotic therapies, and provides insight into future research directions for understanding the mechanisms underlying dietary efficacy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cecilia Maria Esposito, Massimiliano Buoli, Valentina Ciappolino, Carlo Agostoni, Paolo Brambilla
Summary: ASD may be associated with cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism, with a correlation between cholesterol and ASD, while the impact of fatty acids is uncertain. Metabolic biomarkers provide potential for exploring new treatment options.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Costanza Varesio, Serena Grumi, Martina Paola Zanaboni, Martina Maria Mensi, Matteo Chiappedi, Ludovica Pasca, Cinzia Ferraris, Anna Tagliabue, Renato Borgatti, Valentina De Giorgis
Summary: Research shows that ketogenic dietary therapies can significantly improve behavioral symptoms in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The implementation of KDTs has shown feasibility and potential efficacy, but dietary adherence may pose a challenge.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Ludovica Pasca, Carlo Alberto Quaranta, Serena Grumi, Martina Paola Zanaboni, Anna Tagliabue, Monica Guglielmetti, Helene Vitali, Elena Capriglia, Costanza Varesio, Federico Toni, Lino Nobili, Michele Terzaghi, Valentina De Giorgis
Summary: This scoping review aimed to identify and map the effects of ketogenic dietary therapies on sleep. The findings indicate that ketogenic dietary therapies can improve overall sleep quality and sleep structure, including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, and increased REM sleep. However, there is high variability in study design and sleep outcome evaluation among the selected studies.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Yuping Yu, Jinyue Huang, Xiaofang Chen, Jia Fu, Xinhui Wang, Linjie Pu, Chunyu Gu, Chunquan Cai
Summary: This study examined the efficacy and safety of dietary therapies, including gluten-free, casein-free, and ketogenic diets, for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through a meta-analysis. The results showed that these diet interventions can significantly ameliorate core symptoms of ASD, with gluten-free diets being particularly effective in improving social behaviors. However, more well-designed and high-quality clinical trials are needed to validate these findings due to the limitations of small sample sizes in the included studies.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Pablo Jose Gonzalez-Domenech, Francisco Diaz-Atienza, Luis Gutierrez-Rojas, Maria Luisa Fernandez-Soto, Carmen Maria Gonzalez-Domenech
Summary: This narrative review concludes that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support a general recommendation of dietary intervention in children with ASD. Future research should focus on protocols and procedures for assessing risk and safety, as well as larger sample sizes and longer follow-up times to obtain more reliable results.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alessia Azzara, Roberto Rumore, Fulvia Brugnoletti, Elisabetta Tabolacci, Irene Bottillo, Eugenio Sangiorgi, Fiorella Gurrieri
Summary: Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by impaired socialization, stereotypical behavior, and defective social adaptation. Genetic background is important in the development of Asperger syndrome, and a mutation in the RADX gene may play a role as a predisposing factor. The RADX gene encodes a DNA binding factor involved in genome maintenance and its mutation could disrupt neural genes related to cell adhesion and migration.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Seda Onal, Monika Sachadyn-Krol, Malgorzata Kostecka
Summary: A narrative review was conducted to determine whether nutrition and specific diets can alter gastrointestinal symptoms and neurobehavioral disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the review found a lack of conclusive scientific data on the effectiveness of therapeutic diets for ASD, leading to no definitive recommendations for specific nutritional therapy. An individualized dietary approach and the involvement of dieticians are important for ASD therapy.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Mickey L. Bolyard, Christina M. Graziano, Kevin R. Fontaine, R. Drew Sayer, Gordon Fisher, Eric P. Plaisance
Summary: This study examined the tolerability, acceptability, and blood responses of ketone ester and ketone ester/salt combinations at different dosages. The results showed that both products increased the concentration of R-beta HB in the blood to a similar extent, but there were slight differences in tolerability and acceptability. These findings provide insights for future research on variable doses, frequency, and timing of exogenous ketone administration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefanie Grabrucker, Jessica Pagano, Johanna Schweizer, Carolina Urrutia-Ruiz, Michael Schoen, Kevin Thome, Guenter Ehret, Andreas M. Grabrucker, Rong Zhang, Bastian Hengerer, Juergen Bockmann, Chiara Verpelli, Carlo Sala, Tobias M. Boeckers
Summary: Shank2 deficiency in mice leads to a lack of social bonding behavior towards pups, but enhancing activity in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus can restore social bonding behavior.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Deshenyue Kong, Jia-xue Sun, Ji-qun Yang, Yuan-sen Li, Ke Bi, Zun-yue Zhang, Kun-hua Wang, Hua-you Luo, Mei Zhu, Yu Xu
Summary: Substance use disorders (SUD) can lead to serious health problems, and there is a great interest in developing new treatment methods to alleviate the impact of substance abuse. In recent years, the ketogenic diet (KD) has shown therapeutic benefits as a dietary therapy in a variety of neurological disorders.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Pediatrics
Qinrui Li, Jingjing Liang, Na Fu, Ying Han, Jiong Qin
Summary: The ketogenic diet (KD) has been shown to benefit autistic children by improving behavior. It likely achieves this through enhancing energy metabolism, reducing oxidative stress levels, controlling neurotransmitters, inhibiting the mTOR signaling pathway, and modulating the gut microbiota. The KD may be a safe and effective treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Chunlong Mu, Angela Pochakom, Raylene A. Reimer, Anamika Choudhary, Melinda Wang, Jong M. Rho, Morris H. Scantlebury, Jane Shearer
Summary: The ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for infantile spasms syndrome. This study investigated the effect of adding a prebiotic fiber to the diet, and found that it improved metabolic parameters and gut microbiota diversity. However, it had no impact on spasms or developmental outcomes.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jiabao Yan, Cuiru Ren, Yunlong Dong, Jibran A. A. Wali, Hongjie Song, Ying Zhang, Hengrui Zhang, Guangning Kou, David Raubenheimer, Zhenwei Cui
Summary: Ketogenic diet combined with moderate aerobic exercise effectively reduces body weight and fat mass, with no significant adverse effects except for an increase in circulating triglyceride level. Aerobic exercise further improves blood parameters and hepatic condition in mice fed with ketogenic diet.
Review
Oncology
Yan Lan, Chaonan Jin, Pavitra Kumar, Xia Yu, Cameron Lenahan, Jifang Sheng
Summary: The ketogenic diet is considered a potential intervention method for hepatocellular carcinoma due to its ability to reduce energy supply, affect cancer cell proliferation and differentiation, and regulate lipid metabolism.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Irina Polyanskaya, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Torben Brauner, Patrick Blackburn
Summary: This study found that the second language in Danish is a repetitive behavior that relies on working memory, which is particularly important for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sentential complement structures are related to children's second-order false beliefs, and these false belief skills improved after receiving training in recursive phrases or working memory.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Inge-Marie Eigsti, Rebecca P. Thomas, Mackenzie Stabile, Anusha Mohan, Mary F. S. Dieckhaus, Jason Crutcher, Elise Taverna, Deborah A. Fein
Summary: This study evaluates the use of online ADOS-2 Module 4 administration and demonstrates its validity and reliability in assessing ASD symptomatology.
Editorial Material
Psychology, Developmental
Inge-Marie Eigsti, Deborah Fein, Caroline Larson
Summary: This paper addresses the hypothesis that autism spectrum disorder features can follow multiple long-term developmental trajectories, including the disappearance of symptoms that were present in childhood by adolescence. To better reflect the various excellent outcomes regardless of the presence or absence of autism spectrum disorder features, the term "loss of autism diagnosis" (LAD) has been proposed as a substitute, including autonomy, daily living skills, communication skills, and relationships and employment/activities outside the home. The paper also discusses the context of an LAD outcome within research, practice, and advocacy.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charles P. Davis, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Roisin Healy, Gitte H. Joergensen, Eiling Yee
Summary: Sensorimotor-based theories of cognition suggest that even subtle developmental motor differences impact how individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent the meaning of manipulable objects. This study found that Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores were correlated with the activation of conceptual representations of manipulable objects in typically developed individuals.
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Teresa Girolamo, Mabel L. Rice
Summary: This study aimed to explore the language abilities of autistic adolescents and young adults with language impairment. The results showed that all participants met the criteria for language impairment, with overall language abilities remaining in the impaired range, while other abilities varied. These findings contribute to our understanding of the linguistic strengths and variability in language skills of autistic young adults.
JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Mackenzie Stabile, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: This study examined lexical alignment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during discourse and explored associations with communicative success and executive function. The results indicated that lexical alignment was reduced in ASD participants and was associated with task accuracy for non-autistic adolescents. However, the association between lexical alignment and executive function did not reach significance.
JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Teresa Girolamo, Nichol Castro, Alison Eisel Hendricks, Samantha Ghali, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: The purpose of this article is to discuss the ethical and practical concerns in implementing open science practices in CSD research with BIPOC and present actionable steps to support open science. In addition to individual scientific practices, the discipline of CSD must prioritize accessibility and transparency in order to build trust with BIPOC as research participants and leaders of the scientific community.
JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Adam Naples, Elena J. Tenenbaum, Richard N. Jones, Giulia Righi, Stephen J. Sheinkopf, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: This study developed a brief parent-report measure called the Low Verbal Investigatory Survey (LVIS) to assess communicative capacity among minimally verbal autistic children. The pilot results show that the LVIS is a good estimate of the child's communication skills and is strongly correlated with language and cognitive abilities as well as autism symptomatology.
Article
Education, Special
Bahar Tuncgenc, Carolyn Koch, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Stewart H. Mostofsky
Summary: This study examines mimicry and affiliation in autistic and neurotypical children during an interactive storytelling activity. The results show reduced mimicry and lower affiliation in autistic children, while mimicry is strongly associated with affiliation in neurotypical children.
RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Teresa Girolamo, Samantha Ghali, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: This article discusses how to improve the ecological validity of language research in autism by engaging racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals. The researchers successfully established partnerships with these individuals and conducted research projects that addressed their priorities and concerns. The findings highlight the importance of community-based methods in diversifying autism research.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Teresa Girolamo, Lue Shen, Amalia Monroe-Gulick, Mabel L. Rice, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: Autism research often excludes racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals, leading to a limited evidence base for characterizing and diagnosing language impairment in this population. This systematic review examined reporting practices for participant socio-demographics in studies focused on language impairment in autistic school-age individuals using age-referenced assessments. Findings revealed insufficient adherence to reporting guidelines and systematic exclusion of racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, highlighting the need for improved reporting and inclusion in autism research.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Ethan Weed, Riccardo Fusaroli, Elizabeth Simmons, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: The current study used a network model to analyze the prosody differences between speakers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical speakers. Three clusters were identified, including one primarily composed of ASD speakers, one of mostly neurotypical speakers, and one with a mixed composition of ASD and neurotypical speakers. The findings suggest that network methods can complement human ratings in improving our understanding of intonation profiles in ASD.
LANGUAGE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Behavioral Sciences
Caroline Larson, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Tammie Spaulding, Julia Parish-Morris
Summary: This commentary advocates for considering language skills in the justice system policy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, emphasizing their importance in interactions with the criminal justice system and providing specific recommendations.
Article
Psychology, Applied
Lucy Finkelstein-Fox, Crystal L. Park, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Sayaka Awao, Anthony D. Mancini
Summary: Losing a loved one is common and stressful for young adults, and we lack research on the long-term impact of post-loss cognitive processing, depression, and sleep difficulties. This study explored the changes in depression and sleep over a 9-week period in relation to stress exposure, loss-related cognitive processing, and attention regulation among recently bereaved college students. The results showed that most participants gradually reduced loss-related processing, leading to improvements in depression and sleep. Stress exposure was associated with increased processing, depression, and sleep disturbance. High attentional alertness and slow re-orienting strengthened the link between loss processing and sleep disturbance. Within- and between-person variation in stress can prolong the bereavement process. Future research should integrate objective attention measures with self-reported adjustment to stress for a better understanding of the reciprocal links between depression, sleep, and loss-related cognitive processing.
Article
Neuroimaging
Caroline Larson, Karla Rivera-Figueroa, Hannah R. Thomas, Deborah Fein, Michael C. Stevens, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: This study investigated the presence of structural language impairment in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those who no longer meet criteria for ASD. The results showed no significant difference in the proportion of participants with structural language impairment between the ASD and LAD groups. Functional MRI results indicated greater left hemisphere lateralization in the group with structural language impairment. Structural language abilities were not significantly associated with social abilities or ADHD symptoms in the subgroups with structural language impairment.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Song Xue, Feng Kong, Yiying Song, Jia Liu
Summary: This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the relationship between individual's spontaneous neural activity and social interaction anxiety in a nonclinical population. The results showed that social interaction anxiety was correlated with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in several brain regions, and that emotional intelligence partially mediated this relationship. This study provides evidence for the neural basis of social interaction anxiety in the normal population and highlights the role of emotional intelligence in this anxiety.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Takuya Yazawa
Summary: This study provides morphometric data on the development of the human medullary arcuate nucleus (AN) by examining the brains of preterm and perinatal infants. The results show that AN morphology demonstrates asymmetry and individual variability during the fetal period. The volume and neuronal number of AN increase exponentially with age, while neuronal density decreases exponentially. The AN may undergo neuron death and neuroblasts production after mid-gestation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zhan Zhou, Weixin Dai, Tianxiao Liu, Min Shi, Yi Wei, Lifei Chen, Yubo Xie
Summary: Studies have shown that propofol-induced neurotoxicity is caused by disruption of mitochondrial fission and fusion, leading to an energy supply imbalance for developing neurons. Healthy mitochondria released by astrocytes can migrate to compromised neurons to mitigate propofol-induced neurotoxicity, but the exact mechanisms involved still need further clarification.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
An Chen, Song Hao, Yongpeng Han, Yang Fang, Yibei Miao
Summary: This study explores the efficacy of two forms of BCI attention training games and finds that physical games may be more effective than video games. The research also offers valuable insights for future game design from a neuroscience perspective.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lina Liu, Luran Liu, Yunting Lu, Tianyuan Zhang, Wenting Zhao
Summary: This study reveals that GDI1 serves as a potential diagnostic biomarker for AD and inhibition of GDI1 can attenuate Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. The findings offer new insights for the treatment of AD.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zahra Gholami, Ava Soltani Hekmat, Ali Abbasi, Kazem Javanmardi
Summary: This study investigated the effects of alamandine on allodynia in a rat model and found the presence of MrgD receptors in the vlPAG and RVM regions. Microinjection of alamandine resulted in a significant increase in paw withdrawal threshold and could be blocked by an MrgD receptor antagonist. Upregulation of MrgD receptor expression following allodynia induction suggests a potential compensatory mechanism in response to pain.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Mingliang Xu, Lei Xia, Junjie Li, Yehong Du, Zhifang Dong
Summary: This study found that DHF effectively alleviates sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in developing mice by restoring the balance between tau O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation. Therefore, DHF has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for treating cognitive impairment associated with anesthetics, such as sevoflurane.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Tsubasa Mitsutake, Hisato Nakazono, Takanori Taniguchi, Hisayoshi Yoshizuka, Maiko Sakamoto
Summary: The posterior parietal cortex plays a crucial role in postural stability, and transcranial electrical stimulation of this region can modulate physical control responses. This study found that cathodal stimulation significantly decreased joint angular velocity in multiple directions, while there were no significant differences with transcranial random noise stimulation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xishuai Yang, Wei Zhang, Xueli Chang, Zuopeng Li, Runquan Du, Junhong Guo
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose rituximab (RTX) in patients with muscle-specific kinase antibody positive myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG). The results showed that low-dose RTX treatment led to significant improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life for patients with MuSK-MG.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Jian Zhang, Shunyuan Guo, Rong Tao, Fan Wang, Yihong Xie, Huizi Wang, Lan Ding, Yuejian Shen, Xiaoli Zhou, Junli Feng, Qing Shen
Summary: This study established an Alzheimer's disease (AD) model of zebrafish induced by AlCl3 and found that marine-derived plasmalogens (Pls) could alleviate cognitive impairments of AD zebrafish by reversing athletic impairment and altering the expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress, ferroptosis, synaptic dysfunction, and apoptosis.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lu Li, Jiaqi Ren, Qi Fang, Liqiang Yu, Jintao Wang
Summary: ICU-AW is a common and severe neuromuscular complication in critically ill patients. Electrophysiological examination is essential for accurate diagnosis and early prediction of the disease. This study aimed to establish and validate an ICU-AW predictive model in SIRS patients, providing a practical tool for early clinical prediction.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Ahmad Alipour, Roghayeh Mohammadi
Summary: The present study aimed to investigate the separate and combined effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3) regions on pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from neuropathic pain (NP). The results showed that tDCS had the potential to induce pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from NP. The mean perceived pain intensity in the posttest was lower in the M1 stimulation group than in the F3 stimulation group. However, more trials with larger sample sizes are necessary to define clinically relevant effects.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Eduardo J. Fusse, Franciele F. Scarante, Maria A. Vicente, Mariana M. Marrubia, Flavia Turcato, Davi S. Scomparin, Melissa A. Ribeiro, Maria J. Figueiredo, Tamires A. V. Brigante, Francisco S. Guimaraes, Alline C. Campos
Summary: Repeated exposure to psychosocial stress alters the endocannabinoid system and affects brain regions associated with emotional distress. Enhancing the effects of endocannabinoids through pharmacological inhibition induces an anti-stress behavioral effect, possibly mediated by the mTOR signaling pathway.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Giulia Agostoni, Luca Bischetti, Federica Repaci, Margherita Bechi, Marco Spangaro, Irene Ceccato, Elena Cavallini, Luca Fiorentino, Francesca Martini, Jacopo Sapienza, Mariachiara Buonocore, Michele Francesco D'Incalci, Federica Cocchi, Carmelo Guglielmino, Roberto Cavallaro, Marta Bosia, Valentina Bambini
Summary: This study found a general impairment in humor comprehension in individuals with schizophrenia, with mental jokes being more difficult for both patients and controls. Humor comprehension was closely associated with the patients' overall pragmatic and linguistic profile, while the association with Theory of Mind (ToM) was minimal. Another notable finding was the increased appreciation of humor in individuals with schizophrenia, who rated jokes as funnier than controls did, regardless of whether they were correctly or incorrectly completed. The funniness ratings were not predicted by any measure, suggesting a dimension of humor untied to cognition or psychopathology.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xiuping Gong, Qi Li, Yang Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates that Sev targets CREBBP to inhibit ALG13 transcription, leading to hippocampal damage and cognitive impairment.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
