Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hasan Wael Battah, Meir Lotan, Danny S. Moran
Summary: There is strong evidence that early developmental therapy can effectively treat developmental problems in children, especially those with a diagnosis of autism. However, there is currently a lack of valid motor assessment tools for children with autism, which highlights the need for a specialized tool to monitor and treat motor delay in this population.
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sainiteesh Maddineni, Wasan Kumar
Summary: The dominant paradigm in academic medicine is to develop new technologies and apply them to clinically relevant problems, but there is a need for greater emphasis on identifying important clinical problems before seeking solutions.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Edgard Verdura, Laura Perez-Cano, Ruben Sabido-Vera, Emre Guney, Jean-Marc Hyvelin, Lynn Durham, Baltazar Gomez-Mancilla
Summary: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by clinical, genetic, and therapeutic response heterogeneity, emphasizing the need for precision medicine-based treatments. The high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in FXS poses challenges in drug development. Precision medicine approaches, by accurately stratifying patients and defining drug responder profiles, have the potential to improve clinical trial success rates and benefit a larger number of patients with neurodevelopmental disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Meysam Zarezadeh, Mahsa Mahmoudinezhad, Banafshe Hosseini, Leila Khorraminezhad, Maryam Razaghi, Ehsan Alvandi, Ahmad Saedisomeolia
Summary: Autism spectrum disorders are related to specific dietary habits and gastrointestinal problems, resulting in changes in gut microbiota. Autistic patients have high abundance of specific gut bacteria associated with increased oxidative stress in the gastrointestinal tract. Although the direct effects of probiotics on oxidative stress in autistic patients have not been studied, it is speculated that probiotic supplementation may help decrease oxidative stress in the gastrointestinal tract due to the altered microbiota caused by specific dietary habits.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Laura Perez-Cano, Sara Azidane Chenlo, Ruben Sabido-Vera, Francesco Sirci, Lynn Durham, Emre Guney
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse group of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with a high medical need. The current behavior-based criteria used for diagnosing ASD overlooks the heterogeneity in clinical and genomic aspects, leading to failed clinical trials. This article highlights the urgent need to create a precision medicine framework for ASD and other NDDs, utilizing omics and systems biology to identify more homogeneous disease subtypes and develop tailored treatments. Recent initiatives towards precision medicine and cost-effective drug discovery for NDDs are also discussed.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ashley W. Seifert, Elizabeth M. Duncan, Ricardo M. Zayas
Summary: Basic research has the potential to uncover the inner workings of regenerative processes and provide new experimental evidence for regenerative medicine. However, there are still many unanswered questions about regeneration, and expanding the diversity of organisms used in research is essential. Collaborative interdisciplinary research has the potential to advance the field of regenerative medicine and provide unexpected insights into important questions in biology and medicine.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah H. Al-Mazidi, Laila Y. Al-Ayadhi
Summary: The study found that most autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients were diagnosed before the age of three, but many diagnoses were not initiated by physicians, and parents' satisfaction with the services and support their children needed was low. Parents who received psychological support were more likely to start early intervention, leading to better prognosis for their children; stigmatized parents were more likely to delay intervention.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Marc-Andre Clement, Keven Lee, Melissa Park, Anabel Sinn, Natalie Miyake
Summary: Differences in sensory processing have been linked to ASD, but research on sensory processing and meaningful participation of individuals with ASD is limited. This study used a longitudinal participatory research project to understand the experiential knowledge of individuals with autism and their families and how it enhances understanding of meaningful participation. The results highlighted the relationship between sensory experiences and mental health, the interplay between sensory and social experiences, the impact of misunderstandings on involvement, and the innovative solutions for inclusion that arise from care and consideration of others. Listening to these experiences can lead to rethinking the ICF framework and implementing sensory curb-cuts for better occupational participation.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Michelle M. M. Hughes, Kelly A. A. Shaw, Monica DiRienzo, Maureen S. S. Durkin, Amy Esler, Jennifer Hall-Lande, Lisa Wiggins, Walter Zahorodny, Alison Singer, Matthew J. J. Maenner
Summary: This study analyzed the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children with profound autism using a newly proposed definition. The prevalence of profound autism was found to be 26.7%, and children with profound autism had specific characteristics compared to those with non-profound autism. Understanding and addressing the needs of individuals with profound autism is crucial for planning policies and programs.
PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Milijana Buac, Gabriela Ibarra, Ricardo Torres, Sinan Onal, Allison Gladfelter, Ziteng Wang
Summary: There has been a steady increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally. Many autistic children exhibit differences in gait, which may be influenced by both ASD and cultural factors. However, recent empirical research studies focusing on gait in autistic children have not taken cultural factors into account.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Social
Marcin Zajenkowski, Jeremiasz Gorniak, Kajetan Wojnarowski, Malgorzata Sobol, Peter K. Jonason
Summary: This study found a positive correlation between the endorsement of conspiracy theories and present time perspectives, specifically hedonism and fatalism. Hostility and a tendency toward irrational thinking mediated this association. Additionally, in the COVID-19 related study, conspiracy beliefs were associated with higher levels of Past Negative TP and less balanced TP.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Runnan Cao, Chujun Lin, Johnie Hodge, Xin Li, Alexander Todorov, Nicholas J. Brandmeir, Shuo Wang
Summary: People evaluate faces rapidly and agree on social trait evaluations. The neural basis for such rapid face evaluation is largely unknown. This study recorded neuronal activity in the human amygdala and hippocampus and found that it was associated with the geometry of a social trait space. The results suggest the existence of a neuronal population code for a comprehensive social trait space in the human brain, which plays a role in spontaneous first impressions and may have implications for abnormal social information processing in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Rebecca C. Woodruff, Ipuniuesea Eliapo-Unutoa, Howard Chiou, Maria Gayapa, Sara Noonan, Pradeep S. B. Podila, Victoria Rayle, Guillermo Sanchez, Ray Tulafono, Chris A. Van Beneden, Matthew Ritchey
Summary: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a serious public health issue in American Samoa, with no centralized patient registry available. Existing electronic health records do not capture all RHD cases. Establishing a centralized patient registry could improve tracking of RHD patients and ensure they receive necessary care.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Hope S. Rugo, Laura Huppert
Summary: Identifying biomarkers using cell-free DNA for treatment allows safe assessment of tumor biology, complementing tissue-based genotyping. However, caution is needed when interpreting commercial matching information, as true matching is feasible in a minority of patients.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Rehabilitation
Kari L. Sherwood, Matthew J. Smith, Mary A. Eldredge
Summary: This article explores the current technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) available for autistic transition-age youth (TAY), as well as the existing policies that may facilitate or impede the delivery of these interventions. The focus is on policies that may impact the implementation of TAII for autistic TAY. After reviewing the literature, it is found that there is a lack of postsecondary policies guiding the delivery of TAII specifically designed to support autistic TAY. TAII has shown effectiveness, usability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness, particularly for this population. Possibilities for future policies to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of TAII for autistic TAY are suggested.
JOURNAL OF DISABILITY POLICY STUDIES
(2023)