Asperger Syndrome Group Research Articles

Steroid Metabolites Support Evidence of Autism as a Spectrum.

Objectives: It is common nowadays to refer to autism as a spectrum. Increased evidence of the involvement of steroid metabolites has been shown by the presence of stronger alterations in Kanner’s syndrome compared with Asperger syndrome. Methods: 24 h urine samples were collected from 20 boys with Asperger syndrome, 21 boys with Kanner’s syndrome, and identically sized control groups, each matched for age, weight, and height for comprehensive steroid hormone metabolite analysis via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: Higher levels of most steroid metabolites were detected in boys with Kanner’s syndrome and Asperger syndrome compared to their matched controls. These differences were more pronounced in affected individuals with Kanner’s syndrome versus Asperger syndrome. Furthermore, a specific and unique pattern of alteration of androsterone, etiocholanolone, progesterone, tetrahydrocortisone, and tetrahydrocortisol was identified in boys with Kanner’s syndrome and Asperger syndrome. Interestingly, in both matched samples, only androsterone, etiocholanolone, progesterone, tetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydrocortisol, and 5a-tetrahydrocortisol groups were positively correlated. In the Asperger syndrome group, all metabolites showed a positive correlation. In the Kanner’s syndrome group, 5-a tetrahydrocortisol with androsterone showed a positive correlation. Conclusions: Due to differences in the level of alteration, the premise that Asperger syndrome is on the mild side of the autism spectrum and that Kanner’s syndrome is on the severe side is supported, but alteration patterns yield different phenotypic expressions.

Relations between learning potential, cognitive and interpersonal skills in Asperger children

Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in interpersonal skills. Different theories have tried to explain this disorder by taking into account general intelligence, information processing, executive functions, emotional intelligence, etc., but to date, none of these completely explains the cause of these deficits. The present study investigates the relations between interpersonal skill deficits and different cognitive skills. A total of 45 children with Asperger Syndrome, between the ages of 7 and 13, were assessed using tests of intelligence, executive function (using a dynamic assessment methodology) and social comprehension. The results show that Asperger Syndrome children profit from the brief training inserted into a dynamic assessment test. In addition, dynamic assessment reveals differences within the Asperger Syndrome group that go unnoticed in standard assessment, and shows how these differences are related to measures of social comprehension and to the intercorrelation between WISC sub-tests. In conclusion, use of dynamic assessment methodology may be useful for planning interventions.

Anxiety in Asperger's syndrome: Assessment in real time.

Anxiety is a major problem for many people with Asperger's syndrome who may have qualitatively different fears from a non-Asperger's syndrome population. Research has relied on measures developed for non-Asperger's syndrome populations that require reporting past experiences of anxiety, which may confound assessment in people with Asperger's syndrome due to problems with autobiographical memory as are often reported in this group.Experience sampling methodology was used to record real-time everyday experiences in 20 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 20 neurotypical adults. Within-subject analysis was used to explore the phenomenology of thoughts occurring in people with Asperger's syndrome when they were anxious. Comparisons were made with the group that did not have Asperger's syndrome. The Asperger's syndrome group were significantly more anxious than the comparison group. Factors associated with feelings of anxiety in the Asperger's syndrome group were high levels of self-focus, worries about everyday events and periods of rumination lasting over 10 min. People in the Asperger's syndrome group also had a tendency to think in the image form, but this was not associated with feelings of anxiety. The results are discussed with reference to psychological models of Asperger's syndrome, cognitive models of anxiety and implications for psychological therapy for this group.

ADHD and Nicotine Use in Schizophrenia or Asperger Syndrome

Objective: To examine ADHD prevalence, rating scales, and relationship to nicotine use in adults with schizophrenia or Asperger syndrome. Method: Ninety-five individuals, 41 with schizophrenia and 54 with Asperger syndrome, were included. Self-rating of adult ADHD symptoms with the Wender–Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Diagnostic Rating Scale (WRAADDS), parent rating of proband’s ADHD childhood and adult life symptoms using the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Questionnaire (SNAP), and report of clinical ADHD diagnosis were included as ADHD measures. Nicotine use data were compared with data from a population sample. Results: In all, 10% of the schizophrenia group and 30% of the Asperger syndrome group had a clinical ADHD diagnosis. Nicotine dependency in the whole sample was closely linked to ADHD. Conclusion: The prevalence of comorbid ADHD was high in schizophrenia and Asperger syndrome. The WRAADDS self-rating scale for ADHD can be one useful tool for assessing comorbid ADHD in these patient groups.

SociaBillyQuizz, un jeu pour l’entraînement aux habiletés sociales chez l’enfant et l’adolescent : étude exploratoire

BackgroundThe SociaBillyQuizz is a therapeutic game designed for social skills training groups with children and adolescents. Using an entertaining method, this media requests several dimensions: exposure, cognition, communication skills, imagination, emotional expression and sign decoding. In this preliminary study, the setting includes two groups of six adolescents, one with social anxiety disorder and the other with Asperger syndrome. ObjectiveTo evaluate, in an exploratory study, the effects of a therapeutic device involving this game for these two clinically different groups of adolescents. MethodsDuring 26 of 1 hour weekly sessions, two adolescents groups participate to a program including the SociaBillyQuizz and cognitive behavioral therapies. The groups are moderated by two therapists. The SociaBillyQuizz is a board game for two to six players; its goal is to collect points by answering instructions from the different thematic cards. There are four thematic cards: action cards (players have to do something), brainstorming cards (players have to use their imagination and demonstrate cognitive flexibility), interview cards (players have to express themselves about what they think or feel) and mystery cards (unexpected instructions). According to the groups’ clinical characteristics, some aims are specifically highlighted. In the anxiety disorder group, the cognitive dimension is privileged and in the Asperger syndrome group, we emphasise the pretend, cognitive flexibility and theory of mind. The effects are measured by the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the Fear Avoidance Hierarchy (FAH) for the social anxiety disorder group and by the Faux Pas Recognition Test and the Social Responsiveness Scale (parent version) for the Asperger group. ResultsThese assessment tools indicate, for both groups, a significant increase of the scores corroborating the observed clinical effects. For eleven of the twelve adolescents, a clinical interview 6 months after the retest shows a continuity of therapeutic benefit. DiscussionThese early results suggest that a social skills training device featuring the SociaBillyQuizz produces clinical improvements in these two groups of adolescents. In future researches, with control group and more complete follow-up, nature and effectiveness of its contribution should be specified. ConclusionIn this preliminary study, the SociaBillyQuizz appears to be an interesting therapeutic tool that can increase implication, motivation, participation and cohesiveness of the group. It also makes easier the cognitive-behavioural-strategies learning.

Can Asperger syndrome be distinguished from autism? An anatomic likelihood meta-analysis of MRI studies

The question of whether Asperger syndrome can be distinguished from autism has attracted much debate and may even incur delay in diagnosis and intervention. Accordingly, there has been a proposal for Asperger syndrome to be subsumed under autism in the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, in 2013. One approach to resolve this question has been to adopt the criterion of absence of clinically significant language or cognitive delay--essentially, the "absence of language delay." To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of people with autism to compare absence with presence of language delay. It capitalizes on the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to systematically explore the whole brain for anatomic correlates of delay and no delay in language acquisition in people with autism spectrum disorders. We conducted a systematic search for VBM MRI studies of grey matter volume in people with autism. Studies with a majority (at least 70%) of participants with autism diagnoses and a history of language delay were assigned to the autism group (n = 151, control n = 190). Those with a majority (at least 70%) of individuals with autism diagnoses and no language delay were assigned to the Asperger syndrome group (n = 149, control n = 214). We entered study coordinates into anatomic likelihood estimation meta-analysis software with sampling size weighting to compare grey matter summary maps driven by Asperger syndrome or autism. The summary autism grey matter map showed lower volumes in the cerebellum, right uncus, dorsal hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus compared with controls; grey matter volumes were greater in the bilateral caudate, prefrontal lobe and ventral temporal lobe. The summary Asperger syndrome map indicated lower grey matter volumes in the bilateral amygdala/hippocampal gyrus and prefrontal lobe, left occipital gyrus, right cerebellum, putamen and precuneus compared with controls; grey matter volumes were greater in more limited regions, including the bilateral inferior parietal lobule and the left fusiform gyrus. Both Asperger syndrome and autism studies reported volume increase in clusters in the ventral temporal lobe of the left hemisphere. We assigned studies to autism and Asperger syndrome groups for separate analyses of the data and did not carry out a direct statistical group comparison. In addition, studies available for analysis did not capture the entire spectrum, therefore we cannot be certain that our findings apply to a wider population than that sampled. Whereas grey matter differences in people with Asperger syndrome compared with controls are sparser than those reported in studies of people with autism, the distribution and direction of differences in each category are distinctive.

An investigation into social information processing in young people with Asperger syndrome

Deficits in social functioning are a core feature of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), being linked to various cognitive and developmental factors, but there has been little attempt to draw on normative models of social cognition to understand social behaviour in ASD. The current study explored the utility of Crick and Dodge's (1994) information processing model to studying social cognition in ASD, and examined associations between social information processing patterns, theory of mind skills and social functioning. A matched-group design compared young people with Asperger syndrome with typically developing peers, using a social information processing interview previously designed for this purpose. The Asperger syndrome group showed significantly different patterns of information processing at the intent attribution, response generation and response evaluation stages of the information processing model. Theory of mind skills were found to be significantly associated with parental ratings of peer problems in the Asperger syndrome group but not with parental ratings of pro-social behaviour, with only limited evidence of an association between social information processing and measures of theory of mind and social functioning. Overall, the study supports the use of normative social information processing approaches to understanding social functioning in ASD.

Theory of Mind in Adults with HFA and Asperger Syndrome

Theory of mind was assessed in 32 adults with HFA, 29 adults with Asperger syndrome and 32 neurotypical adults. The HFA and Asperger syndrome groups were impaired in performance of the Strange stories test and the Faux-pas test and reported more theory of mind problems than the neurotypical adults. The three groups did not differ in performance of the Eyes test. Furthermore, correlations between the Eyes test and the three other theory of mind tests were low or absent. Therefore one can question the ability of the Eyes test to measure theory of mind. Of all theory of mind tests used, the self-report questionnaire had the largest discriminating power in differentiating the two disorder groups from the neurotypical group.

Brief Report: The Use of WAIS-III in Adults with HFA and Asperger Syndrome

The WAIS III was administered to 16 adults with high functioning autism (HFA) and 27 adults with Asperger syndrome. Differences between Verbal Intelligence (VIQ) and Performance Intelligence (PIQ) were not found. Processing Speed problems in people with HFA appeared. At the subtest level, the Asperger syndrome group performed weak on Digit Span. Comprehension and Block Design were relative strengths. In the HFA group, performance on Digit-Symbol Coding and Symbol Search was relatively poor. Strengths were found on Information and Matrix Reasoning. The results suggest that the VIQ-PIQ difference cannot distinguish between HFA and Asperger syndrome. WAIS III Factor Scale and Subtest patterning provides a more valid indicator.

Factor structure of the Behavior Flexibility Rating Scale (BFRS)

The Behavior Flexibility Rating Scale (BFRS) is designed to assess insistence on sameness or lack of behavioral flexibility, which is often associated with autism and other developmental disabilities. This study was designed to assess the factor structure of this scale for a sample of 968 individuals with autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Down syndrome. To establish factorial validity, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with half of the sample, with a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted with the remaining cases to cross-validate the model obtained with the EFA. The factor analyses supported the presence of two factors—Interruption/Disruption and Position/Location. However, further analysis suggested the presence of a third factor, Interpersonal Mishaps, for the Asperger's syndrome group.

Admission and cognitive details of male patients diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome detained in a Special Hospital: comparison with a schizophrenia and personality disorder sample

This study examined whether male patients with Asperger's Syndrome detained in a high-security psychiatric hospital could be distinguished from patients with schizophrenia or with personality disorder on the basis of selected admission and neuropsychological details. Exploratory comparisons found that those patients with Asperger's Syndrome were less likely to have a history of alcohol or illicit substance abuse and had lower index offence violence ratings than the other patient groups. Age at admission was less discriminating and Mental Health Act 1983 section information did not suggest any bias. However, within the Asperger's Syndrome group approximately half had received either a mental illness classification or a psychopathic disorder classification respectively. Within the neuropsychological measures patients with Asperger's Syndrome displayed in performance both similarities to and differences from the other patient groups. Tentative conclusions and implications for assessment and treatment are highlighted, along with the methodological limitations.

Stability and change among high-functioning children with pervasive developmental disorders: a 2-year outcome study.

This study prospectively compared the 2-year outcome of children diagnosed with autism or Asperger syndrome at age 6-8 years in terms of symptoms from the Autism Diagnostic Interview. Significant differences were seen in the three-domain summary scores of social interaction, communication, and repetitive activities, with the Asperger syndrome group demonstrating fewer and/or less severe symptoms at both times. There was a trend for the trajectories to come together over time on the socialization and communication domains, but not the repetitive activities domain. Differences were not attributable to IQ. Analysis of individual items indicated that the autism group improved over time on seven items and showed increased symptom severity on three items. On the other hand, the Asperger syndrome group improved on only two items and showed increased symptom severity on six items. Results suggest that the two PDD subtypes represent similar developmental trajectories, although the Asperger syndrome group maintains its advantage. Educational and clinical implications of the results are discussed.

DSM-IV-Defined Asperger Syndrome: Cognitive, Behavioral and Early History Differentiation from High Functioning Autism

This study compared 2 3 children with high-functioning autism with 12 children with Asperger syndrome, both defined according to strict DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The groups were well matched on chronological age, gender and intellectual ability. Three possible sources of difference between Asperger syndrome and highfunctioning autism were examined: cognitive function, current symptomatology and early history. We found few group differences in current presentation and cognitive function, but many early history differences. The Asperger syndrome group generally demonstrated less severe early symptoms, a milder developmental course and better out-come than the high-functioning autism group. Many of the group dif-ferences appeared secondary to the initial group definition process, however. Overall, the results suggest that Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism involve the same fundamental symptomatology, differing only in degree or severity.

DSM-IV-Defined Asperger Syndrome: Cognitive, Behavioral and Early History Differentiation from High-Functioning Autism

This study compared 2 3 children with high-functioning autism with 12 children with Asperger syndrome, both defined according to strict DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The groups were well matched on chronological age, gender and intellectual ability. Three possible sources of difference between Asperger syndrome and highfunctioning autism were examined: cognitive function, current symptomatology and early history. We found few group differences in current presentation and cognitive function, but many early history differences. The Asperger syndrome group generally demonstrated less severe early symptoms, a milder developmental course and better out-come than the high-functioning autism group. Many of the group dif-ferences appeared secondary to the initial group definition process, however. Overall, the results suggest that Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism involve the same fundamental symptomatology, differing only in degree or severity.