Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Liza Vecchi Brumatti, Valentina Rosolen, Marika Mariuz, Elisa Piscianz, Erica Valencic, Maura Bin, Emmanouil Athanasakis, Pio D'Adamo, Eirini Fragkiadoulaki, Gemma Calamandrei, Oyku Dinckol, Fabio Barbone, Luca Ronfani
Summary: This study examines the impact of prenatal exposure to low levels of mercury and other heavy metals on children's neurodevelopment through a prospective cohort study. It includes assessing maternal fish intake, child diet components, hair and urine samples for mercury levels, and measuring other potentially neurotoxic metals. Longitudinal analysis of neurodevelopment is conducted at different ages to adjust for potential confounders.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Neluwa-Liyanage R. Indika, Udara D. Senarathne, Antonio Malvaso, Dhanushka Darshana, Susan C. Owens, Borhan Mansouri, Yuliya Semenova, Geir Bjorklund
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early-onset social interaction and communication deficits, along with repetitive and restricted patterns of activities, behavior, and interests. Heavy metal exposure, abnormal metabolism, and genetic susceptibility may play a role in the pathogenesis of ASD. Altered porphyrin metabolism in ASD may be associated with deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, and potential metabolic therapies such as supplementation with vitamins, minerals, cofactors, and antioxidants need to be explored in future research.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liang Hu, Bang Liu, Shuzhen Li, Hui Zhong, Zhiguo He
Summary: This study isolated a novel Cr(VI) and Hg(II) reducing strain from chromium landfill, showing that A. indicus yy-1 removes Cr(VI) and Hg(II) through reduction. It was found that Hg(II) is more toxic than Cr(VI) to the strain, leading to increased activities of antioxidant enzymes.
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)
Review
Pediatrics
Mengmeng Ding, Shanshan Shi, Shuyan Qie, Jinglu Li, Xiaoming Xi
Summary: This study found that concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury were significantly higher in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to healthy controls. The concentrations of these heavy metals varied in different regions, with higher levels observed in Asia and Europe. These findings support the implementation of policies to reduce heavy metal exposure, particularly among pregnant women and young children, in order to decrease the incidence of ASD.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
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.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Maude M. David
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Studies have suggested a role of the gut microbiome in modulating ASD phenotype, but results remain inconsistent. Future research will require new experimental methodologies to better understand this relationship.
Article
Psychiatry
Jifeng Wang, Yuan Cao, Weiliang Hou, Dexi Bi, Fang Yin, Yaohui Gao, Dengfeng Huang, Yingying Li, Zhan Cao, Yinmei Yan, Jianhua Zhao, Dewu Kong, Xiaoqiong Lv, Linsheng Huang, Hui Zhong, Chunyan Wu, Qiyi Chen, Rong Yang, Qing Wei, Huanlong Qin
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, restricted verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a safe and efficient strategy to adjust gut microbiota dysbiosis and improve ASD-related behavioral symptoms, but its mechanism is still unknown. Understanding the impact of microbiota on ASD development is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
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.
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.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Richard H. Cole, Michael S. Elmalem, Panayiota Petrochilos
Summary: In a cohort of adults with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), the prevalence of autistic traits and alexithymia is reported, along with the associated psychiatric comorbidity. Furthermore, it is explored whether alexithymia mediates the association between autistic traits and comorbidity.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Liliana Dell'Osso, Giulia Amatori, Ivan Mirko Cremone, Enrico Massimetti, Benedetta Nardi, Davide Gravina, Francesca Benedetti, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, Maurizio Pompili, Pierluigi Politi, Antonio Vita, Mario Maj, Barbara Carpita
Summary: Recent literature suggests that patients with severe mental disorders may develop catatonia over time, and that autistic traits and borderline personality disorder may play important roles in this development. This study aimed to compare catatonic spectrum symptoms and autistic traits among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and healthy controls (CTL), while also evaluating possible predictive dimensions of the different diagnoses.
Article
Psychiatry
Doha Bemmouna, Sebastien Weibel, Markus Kosel, Roland Hasler, Luisa Weiner, Nader Perroud
Summary: The co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD in adults is common. The utility of the AQ as a screening tool for ASD in the context of ADHD is limited, but the imagination subscale can be useful for distinguishing between individuals with ADHD and ASD.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiang Zhang, Rong Zou, Min Guo, Mengmeng Duan, Quan Li, Huajun Zheng
Summary: The study found significant differences in gut microbiota between adults with ASD and obese adults, with certain bacterial genera significantly increased in ASD patients and certain species enriched in obesity. Some species identified may serve as predictive biomarkers for obesity.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mingxing Lou, Aihua Cao, Cuiyuan Jin, Kai Mi, Xiyue Xiong, Zhaoyang Zeng, Xu Pan, Jinlong Qie, Shangfeng Qiu, Yaofang Niu, Hao Liang, Yanping Liu, Lin Chen, Zhi Liu, Qing Zhao, Xiyan Qiu, Yuanxiang Jin, Xiaoqi Sheng, Zhibin Hu, Gulei Jin, Jingshi Liu, Xingyin Liu, Yichao Wang
Summary: Recent studies have revealed the developmental characteristics of gut microbiota in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), showing a distinct and progressive deviation in microbiota development, as well as extensive microbial changes before the age of 3.