Search results for "autism spectrum"
showing 9 items of 239 documents
Endocrine Disruptors and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Pregnancy: A Review and Evaluation of the Quality of the Epidemiological Evidence
2018
Exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy has been linked to adverse health outcomes later in life. Notable among these pollutants are the endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs), which are ubiquitously present in the environment and they have been measured and quantified in the fetus. In this systematic review, our objective was to summarize the epidemiological research on the potential association between prenatal exposure to EDCs and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) published from 2005 to 2016. The Navigation Guide Systematic Review Methodology was applied. A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review, including: five cohorts and 12 case-control. According t…
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of Macula and Optic Nerve in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study
2020
The aim of this study was to compare retinal thicknesses and vascular parameters between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical (NT) individuals. Recruited ASD subjects and age- and sex-matched NT controls underwent 2 optical coherence tomography scans (OCT) (macular cube and optic nerve cube) and 2 OCT angiography (OCTA) scans (macular and optic nerve head (ONH) OCTA) with the device Cirrus 5000 (Zeiss). Concerning OCT, we considered full retina thickness in 9 macular sectors of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) pattern and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness in 4 quadrants and 12 clock-hour sectors. Vessel density and capillary perfusion…
Minor Neurological Dysfunctions (MNDs) in Autistic Children without Intellectual Disability
2018
Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require neurological evaluation to detect sensory-motor impairment. This will improve understanding of brain function in children with ASD, in terms of minor neurological dysfunctions (MNDs). Methods: We compared 32 ASD children without intellectual disability (IQ ≥ 70) with 32 healthy controls. A standardized and age-specific neurological examination according to Touwen was used to detect the presence of MNDs. Particular attention was paid to severity and type of MNDs. Results: Children with ASD had significantly higher rates of MNDs compared to controls (96.9% versus 15.6%): 81.3% had simple MNDs (p < 0.0001) and 15.6% had comple…
Communicative skills in Spanish children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Analysis through p…
2018
Background Communicative skills are one of the main deficits experienced by children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The differential diagnosis is a complex issue that clinicians often face. For this reason, this study has two objectives: 1) to analyze the similarities and differences that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and children with ASD present in their linguistic and communicative skills, through parentś perceptions and narrative production; 2) to identify the relative importance of the skills analyzed in discriminating children with ASD versus children with ADHD, as well as the classification power of each of the two measurement methods used. Metho…
Narratives of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis
2016
Abstract Background The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyze the narrative performance of children and adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in terms of microstructure, macrostructure and internal state language. Method A systematic literature search yielded 24 studies that met the predetermined inclusion criteria. Effect sizes for each study were calculated for eight variables and analyzed using a random effects model. Intellectual ability, age and type of narrative were considered as potential moderators. Results Results revealed that the children with ASD performed significantly worse than their peers on all the variables considered. Conclusions Findings a…
Cranio-Facial Characteristics in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
2019
Background: Cranio-facial anomalies frequently occur in neurodevelopmental disorders because both face and brain are derived from neuroectoderm. The identification of differences in the facial phenotype of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may reflect alterations in embryologic brain development in children with ASD. Methods: we evaluated 33 caucasian children with ASD using a 2D computerized photogrammetry. Anthropometric euclidean measurements and landmarks located on the soft tissue of the face and head, were based on five cranio-facial indexes. Relationships between anthropometric z-scores and participant characteristics (i.e., age, Global IQ, severity of autistic symptoms m…
Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia – similarities between the two disorders with a case report of a patient with dual diagnosis
2023
This paper presents the genetic, molecular and neuroanatomical similarities between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia using the case report of a 34-year-old female patient with a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia as an example. As a result of repeat hospitalization, expanded history, psychological testing and verification of persistent symptoms of psychopathology, a cooccurring diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder was made.
The 2D:4D ratio and its relationship with other androgenisation parameters in parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
2013
The 2D:4D ratio is the quotient between the index and ring fin-ger lengths and is a non-direct indicator of androgenisation. If prenatal tes-tosterone levels in the amniotic fluid are high then the probability increases of developing lower ratio values. It has been suggested that people with au-tism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their parents may have highly andro-genised brains, and for this reason the 2D:4D ratio is used as a marker of such idiosyncrasies. This study aims to analyse if parents of people with ASD differ from the general population in several parameters of andro-genisation related to the 2D:4D ratio. The sample was composed of 43 parents of offspring with ASD and 42 controls…
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group Intervention for Parents of Children with Disabilities (Navigator ACT): An Open Feasibility Trial
2022
AbstractParents of children with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities report high levels of distress, but systematically evaluated interventions are few. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel, manualized Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group intervention (Navigator ACT) in a sample of 94 parents of children with disabilities. Feasibility was measured by treatment completion, credibility, and satisfaction, and preliminary outcomes by using self-rating scales administered at the baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The results imply the intervention is feasible in the context of Swedish outpatient habilitation services. A preliminary analysis of the outco…