Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, social interaction, and repetitive restricted behaviors (RRBs). It is usually detected in early childhood. RRBs are behavioral patterns characterized by repetition, inflexibility, invariance, inappropriateness, and frequent lack of obvious function or specific purpose. To date, the classification of RRBs is contentious. Understanding the potential mechanisms of RRBs in children with ASD, such as neural connectivity disorders and abnormal immune functions, will contribute to finding new therapeutic targets. Although behavioral intervention remains the most effective and safe strategy for RRBs treatment, some promising drugs and new treatment options (e.g., supplementary and cell therapy) have shown positive effects on RRBs in recent studies. In this review, we summarize the latest advances of RRBs from mechanistic to therapeutic approaches and propose potential future directions in research on RRBs.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, heritable, and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, social interaction, and repetitive restricted behaviors (RRBs)
RRBs are purposeless behavior patterns that interfere with normal behaviors and were confirmed as the core symptom of ASD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) released by the American Psychiatric Association (2013)
We summarize the latest studies on RRBs in ASD and suggest future directions in research on RRBs
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, heritable, and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, social interaction, and repetitive restricted behaviors (RRBs). The latest study has shown that the prevalence of ASD among American children aged 8 years was 1/44 or 2.27% (Maenner et al, 2021). RRBs are purposeless behavior patterns that interfere with normal behaviors and were confirmed as the core symptom of ASD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) released by the American Psychiatric Association (2013). Compared with social communication impairment, RRBs have gained less attention in ASD studies. RRBs occur in the early developmental stage and may interfere with the acquisition of essential life skills in the future.
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