Autism Spectrum Disorder Group Research Articles

Neural and Behavioral Differences in Speech Perception for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Within an Audiovisual Context.

Reduced use of visible articulatory information on a speaker's face has been implicated as a possible contributor to language deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We employ an audiovisual (AV) phonemic restoration paradigm to measure behavioral performance (button press) and event-related potentials (ERPs) of visual speech perception in children with ASD and their neurotypical peers to assess potential neural substrates that contribute to group differences. Two sets of speech stimuli, /ba/-"/a/" ("/a/" was created from the /ba/ token by a reducing the initial consonant) and /ba/-/pa/, were presented within an auditory oddball paradigm to children aged 6-13 years with ASD (n = 17) and typical development (TD; n = 33) within two conditions. The AV condition contained a fully visible speaking face; the pixelated (PX) condition included a face, but the mouth and jaw were PX, removing all articulatory information. When articulatory features were present for the /ba/-"/a/" contrast, it was expected that the influence of the visual articulators would facilitate a phonemic restoration effect in which "/a/" would be perceived as /ba/. ERPs were recorded during the experiment while children were required to press a button for the deviant sound for both sets of speech contrasts within both conditions. Button press data revealed that TD children were more accurate in discriminating between /ba/-"/a/" and /ba/-/pa/ contrasts in the PX condition relative to the ASD group. ERPs in response to the /ba/-/pa/ contrast within both AV and PX conditions differed between children with ASD and TD children (earlier P300 responses for children with ASD). Children with ASD differ in the underlying neural mechanisms responsible for speech processing compared with TD peers within an AV context.

Brain perivascular spaces and autism: clinical and pathogenic implications from an innovative volumetric MRI study.

Our single-center case-control study aimed to evaluate the unclear glymphatic system alteration in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through an innovative neuroimaging tool which allows to segment and quantify perivascular spaces in the white matter (WM-PVS) with filtering of non-structured noise and increase of the contrast-ratio between perivascular spaces and the surrounding parenchyma. Briefly, files of 65 ASD and 71 control patients were studied. We considered: ASD type, diagnosis and severity level and comorbidities (i.e., intellectual disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, sleep disturbances). We also examined diagnoses other than ASD and their associated comorbidities in the control group. When males and females with ASD are included together, WM-PVS grade and WM-PVS volume do not significantly differ between the ASD group and the control group overall. We found, instead, that WM-PVS volume is significantly associated with male sex: males had higher WM-PVS volume compared to females (p = 0.01). WM-PVS dilation is also non-significantly associated with ASD severity and younger age (< 4 years). In ASD patients, higher WM-PVS volume was related with insomnia whereas no relation was found with epilepsy or IQ. We concluded that WM-PVS dilation can be a neuroimaging feature of male ASD patients, particularly the youngest and most severe ones, which may rely on male-specific risk factors acting early during neurodevelopment, such as a transient excess of extra-axial CSF volume. Our findings can corroborate the well-known strong male epidemiological preponderance of autism worldwide.

Backchannels in conversations between autistic adults are less frequent and less diverse prosodically and lexically

AbstractBackchannels (BCs; listener signals such as ‘mmhm’ or ‘okay’) are a ubiquitous and essential feature of spoken interaction. They are used by listeners predominantly to support the ongoing turn of their interlocutor and to signal understanding and agreement. Listeners seem to be highly sensitive to the exact realisations of BCs and to judge deviations from typical forms as negative. Very little is known about the use of BCs by speakers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In dialogue recordings of 28 German adults in two groups of disposition-matched dyads (i.e., both interlocutors were either autistic or non-autistic), we found that the ASD group was characterised by (1) a lower rate of BCs per minute (particularly in the early stages of conversation), (2) less diversity in the lexical realisation of BCs and (3) a less diverse and flexible mapping of different intonation contours to different BC types. We interpret these results as reflecting more general characteristics of autistic as compared to non-autistic individuals, namely different strategies in signalling attention towards an interlocutor and less flexible behaviour in social interaction.

One size does not fit all: detecting attention in children with autism using machine learning

AbstractDetecting the attention of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is of paramount importance for desired learning outcome. Teachers often use subjective methods to assess the attention of children with ASD, and this approach is tedious and inefficient due to disparate attentional behavior in ASD. This study explores the attentional behavior of children with ASD and the control group: typically developing (TD) children, by leveraging machine learning and unobtrusive technologies such as webcams and eye-tracking devices to detect attention objectively. Person-specific and generalized machine models for face-based, gaze-based, and hybrid-based (face and gaze) are proposed in this paper. The performances of these three models were compared, and the gaze-based model outperformed the others. Also, the person-specific model achieves higher predictive power than the generalized model for the ASD group. These findings stress the direction of model design from traditional one-size-fits-all models to personalized models.

Reduced grey matter volume of amygdala and hippocampus is associated with the severity of autistic symptoms and language abilities in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: an exploratory study.

The core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are impairments in social interaction/communication and the presence of stereotyped and repetitive behaviour. The amygdala and hippocampus are involved in core functions in the "social brain" and, thus, may be of particular interest in ASD. Previous studies demonstrated inconsistent results, revealing both increased and reduced volume of these brain structures in individuals with ASD. In this study, we investigated the grey and white matter volumes of amygdala and hippocampus in primary-school-aged children with and without ASD. Also, we assessed the relationships between the volume of brain structures and behavioural measures in children with ASD. A total of 36 children participated in the study: 18 children with ASD (13 boys, age range 8.01-14.01years, mean age (Mage) = 10.02, standard deviation (SD) = 1.76) and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls (13 boys, age range 7.06-12.03years, Mage = 10.00, SD = 1.38). The whole-brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was applied to acquire T1 images for each child. The results showed a bilateral reduction in grey matter volume of amygdala and hippocampus in children with ASD, but no difference was found in white matter volume. Importantly, pathological reduction in grey matter volume of amygdala was associated with lower language skills and more severe autistic traits; also, a reduced grey matter volume of the left hippocampus was related to lower language skills in the ASD group.

The Relationship between Semantic Joke and Idiom Comprehension in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Semantic jokes involve resolving an incongruity emerging from wordplay or from a violation of world knowledge. The research has shown individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate a lower performance on humor tasks involving social situations; however, less is known about their semantic joke comprehension. This study examines semantic joke comprehension among adolescents with ASD and its possible relationship to vocabulary size, theory of mind (ToM), and idiom comprehension. Thirty-two adolescents with ASD and 32 typically developed (TD) peers participated. Semantic joke comprehension was assessed via a multiple-choice questionnaire and time-limited computer program. Vocabulary, ToM abilities, and idiom comprehension were also tested. The results reveal that adolescents with ASD are as fast in processing semantic jokes as their age- and vocabulary-matched TD peers, but less accurate. Age and idiom comprehension significantly contributed to semantic joke comprehension among both groups. As semantic joke comprehension is based on incongruity resolution, the greater difficulties in comprehension among the adolescents with ASD may have been due to deficits in simultaneously retaining two alternative interpretations and selecting the relevant one (and not due reduced ToM abilities). Similar to the TD group, semantic joke comprehension among the ASD group appeared to be more developed with age.

Language phenotypes in children with autism spectrum disorder, expressive language disorder, and typical language development

The aim of this study was to compare language abilities in 4–6-year-old Georgian-speaking children with typical language development (TLD), expressive language disorder (ELD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Language linguistic components, such as phonology, semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatics, were examined along with verbal behavior types like “mand,” “tact,” “echoic,” and “intraverbal.” Our sample comprised 148 children, with a gender distribution of 50 girls and 98 boys. Significant differences were observed in the application of various parts of speech across the three groups. Children with ELD were found to use pronouns more frequently compared to TLD and ASD groups. Conversely, children exhibiting typical language development displayed a greater usage of conjunctions and particles than the other groups. Notably, linguistic error patterns varied across groups: children with ELD predominantly committed errors in phonetics and morphosyntax, while children with ASD had more pragmatic errors and also struggled with morphosyntax. Moreover, the ASD group was found to use “mands” and “echoics” more frequently than both the TLD and ELD groups.

Shorter telomere length in children with autism spectrum disorder is associated with oxidative stress.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. The balance between antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress (OS) induced free radicals may be crucial during the pathophysiological development of ASD. In this study, 96 children with ASD who met the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders were collected, and the number of children in the typical development (TD) group was matched by 1:1. Digital PCR (dPCR) for telomere length (TL) expression in ASD in peripheral blood leukocytes. Urine levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) content were measured by tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and corrected by urinary creatinine levels. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and capacity (AOC) were detected by kits. The TL of the ASD group was shorter than the TD group (p < 0.01) and had some accurate predictive significance for the identification of ASD (AUC = 0.632, 95% CI: 0.533-0.710, p = 0.002). Both 8-OHdG content and SOD activity in the ASD group were significantly higher than those in the TD group (p < 0.05). Shortened TL (Monofactor: 2.20 (1.22, 3.96), p = 0.009; Multifactor: 2.22 (1.22, 4.00), p = 0.008) and reduced CAT activity (Monofactor: 2.31 (1.28, 4.17), p = 0.006; Multifactor: 2.31 (1.28, 4.18), p = 0.006) are risk factors for the development of ASD, while reduced 8-OHdG content (Monofactor: 0.29 (0.14, 0.60), p = 0.001; Multifactor: 0.27 (0.13, 0.57), p = 0.001) and reduced SOD activity (Monofactor: 0.55 (0.31, 0.98), p = 0.042; Multifactor: 0.54 (0.30, 0.98), p = 0.042) are protective factors for the development of ASD. In this study, TL and OS were significantly different between the ASD group and the TD group. As guanine-rich telomere sequences were likely damaged by oxygen free radicals, creating OS, which is a factor in the incidence and progression of ASDs. In conclusion, oxidative damage occurs in the bodies of children with ASD, which may lead to sustained disease progression and severe clinical manifestations. We assume that timely supplementation of antioxidants is very likely to be a potential treatment for early intervention in children with ASD. Identification and detection of OS-related biomarkers may contribute to early diagnosis and timely interventions in young patients with ASD.

Regional Dynamic Neuroimaging Changes of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Most neuroimaging studies investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have focused on static brain function, but ignored the dynamic features of spontaneous brain activities in the temporal dimension. Research of dynamic brain regional activities might help to fully investigate the mechanisms of ASD patients. This study aimed to examine potential changes in the dynamic characteristics of regional neural activities in adult ASD patients and to detect whether the changes were associated with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores. Resting-state functional MRI was obtained on 77 adult ASD patients and 76 healthy controls. The dynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (dALFF) were compared between the two groups. Correlation analyses were also performed between dReHo and dALFF in areas showing group differences and ADOS scores. In ASD group, significant differences in dReHo were observed in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG.L). Besides, we found increased dALFF in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG.L), left superior parietal gyrus (SPG.L), left precuneus (PCUN.L), left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG.L), and right inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part (ORBinf.R). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between dALFF in the PCUN.L and the ADOS_TOTAL scores, ADOS_SOCIAL scores; the dALFF in the ITG.L, SPG.L was positively associated with ADOS_SOCIAL scores. In conclusion, adults with ASD have a wide area of dynamic regional brain function abnormalities. These suggested that dynamic regional indexes might be used as a powerful measure to help us obtain a more comprehensive understanding of neural activity in adult ASD patients.

Differentiated, rather than shared, strategies for time-coordinated action in social and non-social domains in autistic individuals

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a highly heterogeneous adult phenotype that includes social and non-social behavioral characteristics. The link between the characteristics assignable to the different domains remains unresolved. One possibility is that social and non-social behaviors in autism are modulated by a common underlying deficit. However, here we report evidence supporting an alternative concept that is individual-centered rather than deficit-centered. Individuals are assumed to have a distinctive style in the strategies they adopt to perform social and non-social tasks with these styles presumably being structured differently between autistic individuals and typically-developed (TD) individuals. We tested this hypothesis for the execution of time-coordinated (synchronized) actions. Participants performed (i) a social task that required synchronized gaze and pointing actions to interact with another person, and (ii) a non-social task that required finger-tapping actions synchronized to periodic stimuli at different time-scales and sensory modalities. In both tasks, synchronization behavior differed between ASD and TD groups. However, a principal component analysis of individual behaviors across tasks revealed associations between social and non-social features for the TD persons but such cross–domain associations were strikingly absent for autistic individuals. The highly differentiated strategies between domains in ASD are inconsistent with a general synchronization deficit and instead highlight the individualized developmental heterogeneity in the acquisition of domain-specific behaviors. We propose a cognitive model to help disentangle individual-centered from deficit-centered effects in other domains. Our findings reinforce the importance to identify individually differentiated phenotypes to personalize autism therapies.

Reduced levels of plasma strong antioxidant uric acid in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Objective: Uric acid (UA) is one of the most powerful antioxidants in human body fluids, as well as being the end product of purine metabolism. UA alone constitutes half of the scavenging effect of oxidant substances in the plasma.It has proinflammatory and metal chelation effects. In this study, UA levels and UA situation according to the normal range were investigated in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Eighty-two ASD, 28 ADHD patients and 66 healthy control subjects were compared and serum UA levels were measured. ASD and ADHD severity were determined by CARS and Atilla Turgay ADHD scale. K-SADS-PL was administered to all subjects over the age of 6 years. Results: UA levels were found to be significantly lower in the ASD and ADHD groups. UA levels were found to be lower than the normal range in nearly half of the ASD and ADHD groups. This rate was found to be 18.2% in the control group. Conclusion: it was determined that UA levels were low in ASD and ADHD patients. It can be suggested that it may play a role in the pathophysiology of ASD and ADHD. UA may be a potential treatment target.

Reduced Visual Evoked Potential Amplitude in Autistic Children with Co-Occurring Features of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Provided the significant overlap in features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is a critical need to identify transdiagnostic markers that could meaningfully stratify subgroups. The objective of this study was to compare the visual evoked potential (VEP) between 30 autistic children, 17 autistic children with co-occurring ADHD presentation (ASD + ADHD), and 21 neurotypical children (NTC). Electroencephalography was recorded while children passively viewed a pattern-reversal stimulus. Mean amplitude of the P1 event-related potential was extracted from a midline occipital channel and compared between groups. P1 mean amplitude was reduced in the ASD + ADHD group compared to the ASD and NTC groups, indicating a distinct pattern of brain activity in autistic children with co-occurring ADHD features.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children with ASD-The Lessons That We Learned from the Pandemic.

The data available for changes in the behavior and emotional state of children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) in lockdown situations are controversial and scarce. In our research, we compare results before the first COVID-19 lockdown of 21 children with ASD and 21 typically developing children, four to five years of age with those obtained immediately after. The study attempts to answer the question of whether there are changes in the levels of emotional and behavioral problems in children with ASD after the lockdown and how these new living conditions affect some aspects of their functioning. The instruments used for data analysis are the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST); Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL); Survey on the consequences of COVID-19 on the life and development of the participants. No significant differences in the emotional and behavioral state of the participants were found, except for attention deficit/hyperactivity problems where ASD children showed lower levels after the lockdown. ASD group parents' answers to the survey pointed towards more positive consequences of staying at home. Some reported they had more time for learning together, communicating, playing, and assisting the learning process through online therapy. As negatives, the parents of ASD children reported low physical activity, increased time with electronic devices, and time spent with the same people. Caregivers of typically developing children agreed that the lockdown had only negative effects. To conclude, for children with ASD in the study, the lockdown period demonstrated that more time spent with parents in structured everyday activities is an opportunity that can lead to positive results in their behavior.

0789 Sleep Spindle Density is Associated with Core Symptom Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract Introduction Converging evidence suggests that dysregulation of thalamocortical interactions, mediated by the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), contributes to the expression of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Risk genes for ASD have been found to affect the TRN early in development. Two hallmarks of NREM sleep –slow oscillations (SO) and sleep spindles– reflect TRN function and distinct thalamic/thalamocortical circuits. While studies demonstrate disrupted sleep quality that correlates with symptoms in children with ASD, studies of spindles in ASD have produced inconsistent findings. It is yet unclear if and how spindle properties are associated with ASD symptoms. Herein, based on studies implicating TRN-mediated thalamocortical dysregulation in ASD, we hypothesized that 1) sleep spindles are reduced in ASD; 2) spindle abnormalities correlate with worse clinical symptoms and cognition. Methods Forty participants with ASD (32 males, age: 11.8 ± 3.2; range 6-15) and 46 typically developing (TD) controls (32 males, age: 11.2 ± 2.3; range 6-15) participated in the study. All participants underwent ambulatory overnight polysomnography (PSG) for sleep assessment after systematic desensitization. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) were used to assess core behavioral symptoms. Results Spindle density was significantly lower in ASD compared to TD participants (ASD: 2.5 ± 2.0; TD: 3.0 ± 2.1; d= 0.45, p=0.01). In the ASD group, less spindle density was associated with more severe behavioral symptoms, as measured by the total ADOS score (R2=0.15, p=0.01) and the three main subscales of the ADI-R (reciprocal social interaction: R2=0.22, p=0.002; communication and language: R2=0.19, p=0.003; and restricted and repetitive, stereotyped interests and behaviors: R2=0.14, p=0.01). Conclusion Alterations in the maturational trajectory of spindles are related to the core symptoms of ASD individuals. The results have the potential to identify novel biomarkers that index distinct aspects of ASD pathophysiology and point to multiple neural mechanisms underlying disease heterogeneity. The study may contribute to producing novel evidence to elucidate the bidirectional relationship between sleep and ASD. Support (if any) Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative grant (177986).

Autistic traits distribution in different psychiatric conditions: A cluster analysis on the basis of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) questionnaire

Increasing interest is being paid on full-threshold and sub-threshold autism spectrum conditions among adults. Sub-threshold autistic traits (AT) seem to be distributed in a continuum from the clinical to the general population, being particularly higher among subjects with other psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of AT in a sample of subjects with different psychiatric conditions by means of a cluster analysis on the basis of the score reported to the AdAS Spectrum instrument. A total of 738 subjects recruited by seven Italian Universities were divided in 5 groups depending on the clinical diagnosis: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), subthreshold ASD symptoms (partial ASD), Bipolar disorder (BD), Feeding and eating disorders (FED), and controls (CTLs). All subjects were assessed with the AdAS Spectrum. The cluster analysis identified 3 clusters: the high, medium and low autism clusters. The Restricted interests and rumination domain reported the highest influence in forming the clusters. The high, medium and low autism clusters were respectively more represented in the ASD, partial ASD and CTL groups. The clusters were represented intermediately in the FED and BD groups, confirming the presence of intermediate levels of AT in these clinical populations.

Motor deficits in autism differ from that of developmental coordination disorder.

A vast majority of individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience impairments in motor skills. Those are often labelled as additional developmental coordination disorder despite the lack of studies comparing both disorders. Consequently, motor skills rehabilitation programmes in autism are often not specific but rather consist in standard programmes for developmental coordination disorder. Here, we compared motor performance in three groups of children: a control group, an autism spectrum disorder group and a developmental coordination disorder group. Despite similar level of motor skills evaluated by the standard movement assessment battery for children, in a Reach-to-Displace Task, children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental coordination disorder showed specific motor control deficits. Children with autism spectrum disorder failed to anticipate the object properties, but could correct their movement as well as typically developing children. In contrast, children with developmental coordination disorder were atypically slow, but showed a spared anticipation. Our study has important clinical implications as motor skills rehabilitations are crucial to both populations. Specifically, our findings suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder would benefit from therapies aiming at improving their anticipation, maybe through the support of their preserved representations and use of sensory information. Conversely, individuals with developmental coordination disorder would benefit from a focus on the use of sensory information in a timely fashion.

Neuropsychological profile of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and children with Developmental Language Disorder and its relationship with social communication

Objective The objective of this study was to probe neuropsychological mechanisms of social communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD). Due to overlap of symptoms that include social dysfunction, diagnostic boundaries between these two developmental disorders remain unclear. This study hypothesizes that these two groups of children differ in the characteristics and in the underlying mechanisms of their social issues. Method This study examines a wide range of neuropsychological domains in search of a relationship with social communication. A total of 75 children with ASD and 26 children with DLD are included. A cross-battery assessment of neuropsychological functions is conducted, and social communication is evaluated using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Results The neuropsychological profile for the ASD group differs from the DLD group, with the former demonstrating higher scores on Visual Processing and Comprehension, whereas the DLD group scores higher on Fluid Reasoning, Visual Processing and Processing Speed. Correlation analysis reveals that the association between neuropsychological domains and social communication differs between the groups. Discussion Children with ASD and DLD clearly have distinctive neuropsychological profiles—their strengths and weaknesses are not equivalent. Such results motivate broad assessment of neuropsychological functions, as this assists in differentiating ASD from DLD for theragnostic purposes.

Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

A significant number of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) exhibit language difficulties. Here, we examined the language-related brain morphometry in 59 participants (7 participants with TSC and comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (TSC + ASD), 13 with TSC but no ASD (TSC-ASD), 10 with ASD-only (ASD), and 29 typically developing (TD) controls). A hemispheric asymmetry was noted in surface area and gray matter volume of several cortical language areas in TD, ASD, and TSC-ASD groups, but not in TSC + ASD group. TSC + ASD group demonstrated increased cortical thickness and curvature values in multiple language regions for both hemispheres, compared to other groups. After controlling for tuber load in the TSC groups, within-group differences stayed the same but the differences between TSC-ASD and TSC + ASD were no longer statistically significant. These preliminary findings suggest that comorbid ASD in TSC as well as tuber load in TSC is associated with changes in the morphometry of language regions. Future studies with larger sample sizes will be needed to confirm these findings.

Olink proteomics profiling platform reveals non-invasive inflammatory related protein biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder.

Owing to the lack of valid biomarkers, the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis relies solely on the behavioral phenotypes of children. Several researchers have suggested an association between ASD and inflammation; however, the complex relationship between the two is unelucidated to date. Therefore, the current study aims to comprehensively identify novel circulating ASD inflammatory biomarkers. Olink proteomics was applied to compare the plasma inflammation-related protein changes in a group of the healthy children (HC, n = 33) and another with ASD (n = 31). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were calculated. The functional analysis of the DEPs was performed using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia Genes and Genomes. Pearson correlation tests were used employed to analyze the correlation between the DEPs and clinical features. A total of 13 DEPs were significantly up-regulated in the ASD group compared with the HC group. The four proteins, namely, STAMBP, ST1A1, SIRT2, and MMP-10 demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy with the corresponding AUCs (95% confidence interval, CI) of 0.7218 (0.5946-0.8489), 0.7107 (0.5827-0.8387), 0.7016 (0.5713-0.8319), and 0.7006 (0.568-0.8332). Each panel of STAMBP and any other differential protein demonstrated a better classification performance [AUC values from 0.7147 (0.5858-0.8436, STAMBP/AXIN1) to 0.7681 (0.6496-0.8867, STAMBP/MMP-10)]. These DEP profiles were enriched in immune and inflammatory response pathways, including TNF and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. The interaction between STAMBP and SIRT2 (R = 0.97, p = 8.52 × 10-39) was found to be the most significant. In addition, several DEPs related to clinical features in patients with ASD, particularly AXIN1 (R = 0.36, p = 0.006), SIRT2 (R = 0.34, p = 0.010) and STAMBP (R = 0.34, p = 0.010), were positively correlated with age and parity, indicating that older age and higher parity may be the inflammation-related clinical factors in ASD. Inflammation plays a crucial role in ASD, and the up-regulated inflammatory proteins may serve as potential early diagnostic biomarkers for ASD.

Short report: Social processing in non-emotional contexts by children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been reported to show social-processing deficits in forced-choice social judgment or story interpretation tasks. However, these methods may limit examination of social-processing within a set of acceptable answers. In this pilot study, we propose a novel method predicated on the premise that language carries social information and validate this method to measure social perception in ASD. 20 children with ASD and 20 typically developing (TD) children matched-pairwise on age (5-12 years), gender, and non-verbal IQ, described pictures of people in everyday situations varying on extent of social engagement. Their social language production was examined in high- and low-social picture conditions. The TD group produced significantly more social language in high-social than low-social picture conditions, with a large effect size (d = 3.15). The TD group produced significantly more social language than the ASD group under high-social conditions (p< .001, η2p = 0.24), but were not significantly different under low-social conditions (p < .05). The study presents proof-of-concept that expressed language carries social information. The findings indicate that social language may be used to measure social perception and examine differences in ASD, with potential applications for other clinical groups with social-processing challenges.