Social Interaction Domains Research Articles

Sex as a Moderator Between Parent Ratings of Executive Dysfunction and Social Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Girls and boys might differ in autistic symptoms and associated cognitive difficulties such as executive function (EF). We investigated sex differences in the relationship between parent rated EF and autistic symptoms in 116 children and adolescents (25 girls) aged 5–19 years with an intelligence quotient above 70 and an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. They were rated with the behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF) and the autism diagnostic interview revised (ADI-R). We found a positive association between EF and the ADI-R domains of reciprocal social interaction (p < 0.001) and communication (p = 0.001) in girls, while these relationships were small and non-significant in boys. Our results provide a greater understanding of the sex-specific characteristics of children and adolescents with ASD.

Using machine learning to improve diagnostic assessment of ASD in the light of specific differential and co-occurring diagnoses.

Diagnostic assessment of ASD requires substantial clinical experience and is particularly difficult in the context of other disorders with behavioral symptoms in the domain of social interaction and communication. Observation measures such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) do not take into account such co-occurring disorders. We used a well-characterized clinical sample of individuals (n = 1,251) that had received detailed outpatient evaluation for the presence of an ASD diagnosis (n = 481) and covered a range of additional overlapping diagnoses, including anxiety-related disorders (ANX, n = 122), ADHD (n = 439), and conduct disorder (CD, n = 194). We focused on ADOS module 3, covering the age range with particular high prevalence of such differential diagnoses. We used machine learning (ML) and trained random forest models on ADOS single item scores to predict a clinical best-estimate diagnosis of ASD in the context of these differential diagnoses (ASD vs. ANX, ASD vs. ADHD, ASD vs. CD), in the context of co-occurring ADHD, and an unspecific model using all available data. We employed nested cross-validation for an unbiased estimate of classification performance and made available a Webapp to showcase the results and feasibility for translation into clinical practice. We obtained very good overall sensitivity (0.89-0.94) and specificity (0.87-0.89). In particular for individuals with less severe symptoms, our models showed increases of up to 35% in sensitivity or specificity. Furthermore, we analyzed item importance profiles of the ANX, ADHD, and CD models in comparison with the unspecific model revealing distinct patterns of importance for specific ADOS items with respect to differential diagnoses. ML-based diagnostic classification may improve clinical decisions by utilizing the full range of information from detailed diagnostic observation instruments such as the ADOS. Importantly, this strategy might be of particular relevance for older children with less severe symptoms for whom the diagnostic decision is often particularly difficult.

Diagnosis-informed connectivity subtyping discovers subgroups of autism with reproducible symptom profiles

Clinical heterogeneity has been one of the main barriers to develop effective biomarkers and therapeutic strategies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recognizing this challenge, much effort has been made in recent neuroimaging studies to find biologically more homogeneous subgroups (called ‘neurosubtypes’) in autism. However, most approaches have rarely evaluated how much the employed features in subtyping represent the core anomalies of ASD, obscuring its utility in actual clinical diagnosis. To address this, we combined two data-driven methods, ‘connectome-based gradient’ and ‘functional random forest’, collectively allowing to discover reproducible neurosubtypes based on resting-state functional connectivity profiles that are specific to ASD. Indeed, the former technique provides the features (as input for subtyping) that effectively summarize whole-brain connectome variations in both normal and ASD conditions, while the latter leverages a supervised random forest algorithm to inform diagnostic labels to clustering, which makes neurosubtyping driven by the features of ASD core anomalies. Applying this framework to the open-sharing Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange repository data (discovery, n = 103/108 for ASD/typically developing [TD]; replication, n = 44/42 for ASD/TD), we found three dominant subtypes of functional gradients in ASD and three subtypes in TD. The subtypes in ASD revealed distinct connectome profiles in multiple brain areas, which are associated with different Neurosynth-derived cognitive functions previously implicated in autism studies. Moreover, these subtypes showed different symptom severity, which degree co-varies with the extent of functional gradient changes observed across the groups. The subtypes in the discovery and replication datasets showed similar symptom profiles in social interaction and communication domains, confirming a largely reproducible brain-behavior relationship. Finally, the connectome gradients in ASD subtypes present both common and distinct patterns compared to those in TD, reflecting their potential overlap and divergence in terms of developmental mechanisms involved in the manifestation of large-scale functional networks. Our study demonstrated a potential of the diagnosis-informed subtyping approach in developing a clinically useful brain-based classification system for future ASD research.

Minimally invasive surgery for severe hallux valgus in 106 feet

BackgroundThere is widespread variation in the optimal procedure for correction of severe hallux valgus deformity defined as hallux valgus angle (HVA) (≥40°) and/or 1–2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) (≥20°). There is limited evidence investigating the clinical or radiological outcomes following treatment of severe hallux valgus deformity with third-generation minimally invasive chevron and Akin osteotomies (MICA). MethodsThis was a prospective observational single surgeon series of consecutive patients who underwent primary third-generation MICA with screw fixation for severe hallux valgus. The primary outcome was a validated patient reported outcome measure (PROM), the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), assessed minimum 2 years following MICA. Secondary outcomes were radiographic deformity correction (assessed 6 weeks post-operatively), complication rates and other quality of life PROMs (EQ-5D and Visual Analogue Pain Scale). ResultsBetween September 2014 and November 2018, 106 consecutive feet (n = 78 patients; 73 female, 5 male) met the inclusion criteria. Prospectively collected pre-operative and 2 year PROM MOXFQ data was available for 86 feet (81.1%). At two years following surgery, the MOXFQ score significantly improved for the Pain, Walking and Standing and Social Interaction domains from 39.2 to 7.5, 38.2 to 5.9 and 48.6 to 5.5, respectively (p < 0.001). Pre- and 6 week post-operative radiographic data was available for all 106 feet. Mean IMA improved from 18.2° to 6.3° (p < 0.001) whilst mean HVA improved from 45.3° to 10.9° (p < 0.001). The complication rate was 18.8% and the screw removal rate was 5.6%. ConclusionThis study has demonstrated third-generation MICA for the treatment of severe hallux valgus deformity enables substantial deformity correction and is associated with significant improvements in clinical PROMs 2 years following surgery.

Evolution of prosocial behaviours in multilayer populations.

Human societies include diverse social relationships. Friends, family, business colleagues and online contacts can all contribute to one's social life. Individuals may behave differently in different domains, but success in one domain may engender success in another. Here, we study this problem using multilayer networks to model multiple domains of social interactions, in which individuals experience different environments and may express different behaviours. We provide a mathematical analysis and find that coupling between layers tends to promote prosocial behaviour. Even if prosociality is disfavoured in each layer alone, multilayer coupling can promote its proliferation in all layers simultaneously. We apply this analysis to six real-world multilayer networks, ranging from the socio-emotional and professional relationships in a Zambian community, to the online and offline relationships within an academic university. We discuss the implications of our results, which suggest that small modifications to interactions in one domain may catalyse prosociality in a different domain.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Severe Hallux Valgus with 2 Year Minimum Follow Up in 106 Feet

Category:Bunion; Lesser Toes; Midfoot/ForefootIntroduction/Purpose:There is widespread variation in the optimal procedure for correction of severe hallux valgus deformity. Severe hallux valgus (defined as hallux valgus angle (HVA) (>=40°) and/or 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) (>=20°)) is associated with increased complication rates including recurrence, delayed or non-union and metatarsal shortening with transfer metatarsalgia. There is limited evidence investigating the clinical or radiological outcomes following treatment of severe hallux valgus deformity with third-generation minimally invasive chevron and akin osteotomies (MICA). Objective: The primary aim was to investigate clinical patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) two years following surgery and the radiographic deformity correction for patients undergoing third-generation MICA for severe hallux valgus deformity.Methods:Prospective observational single surgeon series of consecutive patients who underwent primary third-generation MICA with screw fixation for severe hallux valgus. The primary outcome was a validated patient reported outcome measure, the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), assessed minimum 2 years following MICA. Secondary outcomes were radiographic deformity correction, complication rates and other quality of life PROMs (EQ-5D and Visual Analogue Pain Scale).Results:Between September 2014 and May 2018, 106 consecutive feet (n=78 patients; 73 female, 5 male) met the inclusion criteria. Prospectively collected pre-operative and 2 year PROM MOXFQ data was available for 86 feet (81.1%). At two years following surgery, the MOXFQ score significantly improved for the Pain, Walking and Standing and Social Interaction domains from 39.2 to 7.5, 38.2 to 5.9 and 48.6 to 5.5, respectively (p<0.001). Pre- and post-operative radiographic data was available for all 106 feet. Mean IMA following surgery improved from 18.2° to 6.3° (p<0.001) whilst mean HVA improved from 45.3° to 10.9° (p<0.001).Conclusion:This study has demonstrated third-generation MICA for the treatment of severe hallux valgus deformity can achieve significant improvements in clinical PROMs and radiographic deformity correction.

Association Study between DUF1220 Copy Number and Severity of Social Impairment in Sex-balanced Simplex Cases of Autism.

Copy number variations (CNVs), which are genetic factors responsible for human evolution, have emerged as underlying pathogenic factors for a number of diseases such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). DUF1220 coding sequences have been shown to be positively associated with the severity of symptoms in familial/multiplex cases of autism. However, this association has not been confirmed in simplex autism, and the potential impact of gender/sex has not been studied. Using saliva samples taken from Iranian children with non-syndromic simplex autism, different ethnicity/race and genetic backgrounds from previous studies, we assessed the association between DUF1220 CNVs and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) domain scores in both males and females. In the male and female combined group with autism, in line with previous reports, our findings showed that there were no significant associations between DUF1220 CNVs with either total ADI-R score, social, communication, or repetitive diagnostic scores in simplex autism cases. Interestingly, however, in sex classified groups, despite the insignificant results, our findings in girls with autism showed a negative trend between DUF1220 CNVs and severity of symptoms for the social interaction and communication domains. By contrast, in male children with autism, the results showed a positive trend. It seems that association of DUF1220 CNV with the severity of symptoms in simplex children with autism may follow a sexually dimorphic pattern that needs to be re-examined in prospective studies.

APOIO SOCIAL E SINTOMAS DEPRESSIVOS EM IDOSOS ATENDIDOS EM UM AMBULATÓRIO

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess social support, to screen the scores indicative of depression, and to identify if social support is associated in any way with the scores and with the sociodemographic variables. Method: a cross-sectional and analytical study conducted at a Specialty Outpatient Service for Older Adults in São Paulo. A total of 133 aged individuals were selected from February 2019 to July 2021. During data collection, a structured questionnaire with diverse sociodemographic and clinical information was used, as well as having a caregiver or not; in addition, the following instruments were applied: Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Katz, Lawton and Social Support Scale. Results: the study participants' mean age was 74.2 years old, they were mostly women (72.9%), married (35.3%), white-skinned (70.7%) and retired (74.5%), they had four years of study (31.6%) and incomes up to one minimum wage (30.8%), and they were hypertensive (73.6%), diabetic (38.3%) and dyslipidemic (31.5%). It was observed that, in all the Social Support Scale domains, most of the interviewees perceived high support. It was evidenced that the highest frequency of aged people with normal psychological state corresponded to those with the highest frequency of high support perception in the Emotional and Positive social interaction domains. Conclusion: the study was able to evidence that aged people with a low perception of social support were the ones that presented more depressive symptoms. Therefore, by evidencing and knowing the sociodemographic profile of the service, it is possible to favor planning of the care provided by the multiprofessional team and propose strategic actions for comprehensive care.

Loneliness Level and Its Associated Factors in Patients With Hemodialysis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of loneliness and its relationship with socioeconomic and health conditions, social support, family functionality, and depressive symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study involved analysis of a secondary data, collected in 2019 among 80 patients with CKD on hemodialysis. Participants completed the following instruments: socio-demographic, economic, and health condition characterization, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Family APGAR. On average, the sample was mostly female (55%), white (65%), and the mean age was 59.63 years. In the perception of loneliness, the highest index was (55%), moderately high. Social support scored the worst in the Positive Social Interaction domain. The prevalance of severe depression was approximately 29%. Family functioning was positive, with a good score (69%). There was a weak negative correlation between loneliness and all domains of Social Support, besides Family Functioning.

Apathy and residual neurological impairment are associated with community reintegration after mild stroke

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of apathy and positive social support on community reintegration after stroke. A prospective, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. 85 community dwelling participants with and without aphasia were included (≥ 18 years of age, first stroke, ≥ 6 months post-stroke). The Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNL) measured poststroke participation. The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) and Positive Social Interaction domain of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey assessed apathy and social support respectively. NIH Stroke Scale measured residual neurological impairment. Apathy, social support, and stroke impairment together were strongly associated with the RNL and accounted for 51% of total variance in the RNL. The AES and NIHSS were independent predictors of the RNL, though positive social interaction failed to reach significance. Persons with and without apathy differed significantly on the RNL. Therefore, stroke rehabilitation should address apathy as a potential target for intervention. Future research should determine factors that mediate the relationship between poststroke apathy and community reintegration.

TaPiscine: An effort‐based decision‐making task for apathy assessment in people with neurocognitive disorders

AbstractBackgroundApathy is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Neurocognitive Disorders (NCD). It is characterized by a significant reduction of goal‐directed behaviors in the domains of cognition, behavior, emotions, and social interactions. Goal‐directed behaviors can be investigated using effort‐based decision paradigms, allowing computational models to quantify sensitivity to effort and reward (and their combination) in a systematic way [1]. Our study used an effort‐based decision paradigm to investigate apathetic symptoms in a clinical context with older people with NCD and subjective cognitive decline (SCD).MethodWe recruited 33 participants with mild NCD or SCD from the Memory Center in Nice (24 females, mean age= 74 years, mean MMSE score = 27.1). We assessed self‐reported apathy using the Apathy Motivation Index (AMI) and the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS). We also assessed self‐reported fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, MFI), anhedonia (Snaith‐Hamilton Pleasure Scale, SHAPS), and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS). The effort‐based decision task consisted of choosing to perform an action (taping as quickly as possible on a tactile tablet to fill a virtual pool corresponding to 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the maximum individual effort) to obtain a specific reward (3, 6 or 9 credits to discover pictures), or to rest to ensure 1 credit. For each subject, we extracted a parameter (K) representing the degree to which a reward is devalued by effort.ResultsWe divided participants into two groups with high and low AMI scores using a mean split. Results suggested that the K‐parameter was almost significantly lower in subjects with higher apathy (U=86, p=0,072). Further and more detailed analyses will be performed once reached a sample size of 50 subjects (end of June 2021).ConclusionsEffort‐based decision tasks may be employed also in people with NCD, and may help to differentiate patients with low and high apathy. The study is ongoing, and a bigger sample will allow to better characterize these results. Reference: [1] Lockwood, P., Hamonet, M., Zhang, S. et al. Prosocial apathy for helping others when effort is required. Nat Hum Behav. 1, 0131 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562‐017‐0131

A systematic review of language and communication intervention research delivered in groups to older adults living in care homes.

The communication skills of older adults living in care homes is an underexplored topic. Ageing can lead to reduced communication ability and activity; and in the care home environment there may also be fewer communication opportunities. This situation is likely to negatively impact well-being. Previous reviews have found evidence of the effectiveness of behavioural interventions in increasing well-being, but no systematic review to date has focused specifically on the evidence base for group language and communication interventions in this population. To identify and evaluate the evidence for behavioural interventions with older adults, delivered in groups in care homes, that specifically included a language or communication activity. To explore the impact of such intervention on the specific domains of language, communication and social interaction. To determine whether behavioural mechanisms of action can be identified. Embase, Medline, Ovid Nursing database, Psych info and CINAHL complete were searched and produced 158 records for screening, of which 22 remained for review. In order to identify and evaluate the quality of the evidence base presented the following research questions were posed: What research has been conducted in this area? What is the methodological quality of the studies identified? How complete is the intervention reporting? How was change measured in the domains of language, communication and social interaction? Is there evidence of efficacy, indicated by statistically significant improvement, in these domains? How did the interventions work? Synthesis tools employed included the PEDro-P Scale, the TIDieR checklist and the ITAX. A total of 22 studies met the criteria for review. One study used solely language or communication interventions, but the remaining 21 studies used behavioural interventions which incorporated language and communication activities to varying degrees. Studies fell into four broad intervention types: reminiscence or life review; cognitive stimulation; narrative or storytelling; and multi-modality group communication. The majority of studies were of fair methodological quality, with a moderate level of detail provided in treatment reporting. Statistically significant improvement was reported by authors in all four intervention types and across language, communication and social domains. Social interaction, social support and behavioural skills were the most consistent mechanisms of action in the reviewed behavioural interventions. Despite limitations in the evidence base, there are important positive signs for the beneficial effects of supporting language and communication in care homes. Blinding of assessors, and the accuracy and accessibility of statistical reporting are important areas to address in order to improve the quality of the evidence base. Ageing can lead to reduced communication ability and activity, and in the care home setting there may also be fewer communication opportunities. This situation is likely to negatively impact well-being. Previous reviews have found evidence of the effectiveness of behavioural interventions in increasing well-being. The communication skills of older adults living in care homes is an underexplored topic. No systematic review to date has focused specifically on the evidence base for group language and communication interventions in this population. This review reveals important positive signs for the beneficial effects of supporting language and communication in care homes. Social interaction, social support, and behavioural skills were the most consistent mechanisms of action in the reviewed behavioural interventions.

Exploring sex differences in the manifestation of autistic traits in young children

BackgroundPrevious works attempting to document sex differences in younger children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate potential sex differences in the manifestation of ASD-related features in toddlers and preschoolers with ASD, typical development (TD), and other developmental disorders (OD). MethodAnalyses were conducted using a sample of 557 young children, aged 18−42 months, composed of 261 participants with ASD (n = 207 males; n = 54 females), 223 TD (n = 133 males; n = 90 females), and 73 with OD (n = 45 males; n = 28 females). A battery of tests, including the gold standard ASD diagnostic assessments and caregiver questionnaires, were used to measure symptomatology. We implemented ANCOVA while covarying for adaptive skills to detect sex differences in ASD trait presentation. ResultsThe ASD group demonstrated significant differences in the parent-report social interaction domain with more deficits in females than males, while the TD and OD groups found that males exhibited more restricted or repetitive behaviors (RRB) than females. When the participants were limited to children over 24 months to ensure good diagnostic validity, the same patterns in traits by sex were observed, except in the OD group, suggesting that the younger children might have driven the significant findings. ConclusionSex differences in the social interaction domain were reported by parents of children with ASD, while children in the non-ASD groups exhibited differences in RRBs. Therefore, healthcare professionals should become aware of the different presentational profiles in young children to prevent over or under detection of ASD.

Mental disorders in the dental practice. Autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder with a prevalence of about 1% of the population. This disorder, characterised by limitations in the domain of social communication, interaction, flexibility and processing stimuli, often requires additional attention in the dental practice. The disorder can have an effect on both general health and oral health as a result of unusual eating habits, problems with oral hygiene, the use of psychotropic medications or a vitamin D deficiency. The treatment of patients with an autism spectrum disorder generally also requires more time and patience due to the non-typical communication and interaction. Analysing the sensitivities and fears of a specific patient with autism spectrum disorder, if necessary in consultation with parents of carers, is also recommended.

Parenting experiences of raising a child with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A pilot study from India

Background: Qualitative research that explores parenting experiences while raising a child with ADHD can help in developing and implementing interventions that are meaningful to the families. Contextual factors may influence the parenting experiences to a great extent, and hence, it is important to understand these experiences in our unique cultural context. Objectives: This pilot qualitative study aimed to understand the experiences of Indian parents within the family, community and their interactions with the school while raising children with ADHD by applying thematic analysis. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 consenting parents (8 mothers and 7 fathers) of 12 children. Open-ended questions explored how the child's symptoms had affected them in different domains of life, namely, family life, social and community life and interaction with the school. Results: Six themes were identified; Burden of care, Emotional burden with a ray of hope, Assigning responsibility, Stigma and discrimination, Parent in charge of the situation, and Family support systems. Despite being largely similar to existing literature, there were three important differences that can be understood in our context. First, there was a difference in the themes per se, in that family support systems emerged as an important theme; second, in the way the themes were experienced, for example, stigma was expressed as feelings of shame and embarrassment more often than discrimination and third in the context of experiences such as stigma and blame. Conclusions: Findings may be helpful to mental health professionals for culturally therapeutic engagement and interventions for these families.

No selfies: the social world of autistic male adults as depicted in their everyday photographic practices

Despite the wide range and accessibility of digital image-making technologies, little attention has been paid to autistic people’s everyday photography. The aim of this article is to address this knowledge gap and investigate the ways in which photography enabled four autistic male adults to visually express their social world. Drawing on the writings of Merleau-Ponty and adopting an anthropological perspective to understand autism as a way of being, this article is positioned within the context of phenomenology and provides a more nuanced picture of who creates photographs, where, why, how often and for whom. Using a critical approach rooted in an understanding of everyday life that recognises the value of the banal, repetitive and unnoticed, and the importance of quotidian events, the photography central to this article is characterised by social practices. With a focus on the ‘doing of photography’, key findings of this qualitative, interdisciplinary study revealed that the four autistic participants had a distinct aesthetic vision and used their sensory perception to communicate their ways of seeing and being through the camera. As a social practice, photography mediated participants’ relationships to objects, other people and the social world, in tha the mere gazing at the camera screen offered a domain of social interaction with the subjects that participants photographed.

Impact of surgery on quality of life of Ugandan women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundPelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a significant public health issue that negatively affects the Quality of Life (QOL) of women in both low and high-income countries. About 20% of women will undergo surgery for POP over their lifetime. However, there is a paucity of information on the effect of surgery on QOL especially in resource-limited settings. We therefore assessed the QOL among women with symptomatic POP living in rural southwestern Uganda and the impact of surgery on their quality of life.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study among 120 women with symptomatic POP scheduled for surgery at the urogynecology unit of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. The QOL at baseline and at 1 year after surgery in the domains of physical performance, social interaction, emotional state, sexual life, sleep quality, personal hygiene and urinary bladder function was determined using a King’s Quality of Life questionnaire. A paired t-test was used to compare the difference in mean scores at baseline and at 1-year post-surgery.ResultsOf the 120 participants that were enrolled at baseline, 117(98%) completed the follow-up period of 1 year. The baseline QOL was poor. The domains with the poorest QOL were physical, social, sexual, emotional and sleep quality. The mean QOL scores in all the domains and the overall QOL significantly improved 1 year after surgery (p < 0.001). The overall QOL improved by 38.9% after surgery (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe QOL was poor among women with symptomatic POP and surgery improved the QOL in all the domains of life. We recommend that surgery as an option for treatment of symptomatic POP should be scaled up to improve on the QOL of these women.

Framing Nuclearity: Online Media Discourses in Lithuania

This article refers to the concept of nuclearity as a broader technopolitical phenomenon that implies a political and cultural configuration of technical and scientific matters. The nuclear media discourses become a site of tensions, struggles, and power relations between various institutions, social groups, and agents who seek to frame nuclear issues. The Bourdieusian concept of a field as a domain of social interaction is employed by the authors of this article seeking to reveal interactions and power configurations within and between several fields: journalism and media, economy, politics, and cultural production fields (cinematography, literature, and art). Commercial and political pressures on media raise a question about the autonomy of this field. Media coverage of nuclear issues in Lithuania during the period 2018–2020, includes media framing produced by different sponsors of the nuclear media discourses and agents from the above-mentioned fields of journalism, nuclear industry, politics, cinematography or arts. The media coverage includes the news and press releases produced within PR and public communication of the atomic energy industry by representing the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, articles written by journalists about the atomic city Visaginas, and challenges faced by the local community due to the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear discourse includes debates by politicians around the topic of the lack of safety of the construction of the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant in Belarus, and media coverage of the HBO series &lt;em&gt;Chernobyl&lt;/em&gt; representing a strong antinuclear narrative by portraying the Chernobyl disaster crisis and expressing strong criticism of communism. The authors of this article carried out a qualitative content analysis of media coverage on nuclear issues and revealed features of the discourse: interpretative packages, frames, framing devices (Gamson &amp;amp; Modigliani, 1989), and dominating actors and institutions supporting the discourse.

Participation and autonomy in the first 10 months after diagnosis of ALS: a longitudinal study

Introduction: More insight is needed into participation in daily activities and autonomy among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aims of this study were (1) to describe the course of participation restrictions and autonomy in participation during the first 10 months after diagnosis; (2) to study the influence of the rate of ALS progression on the course of participation. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the longitudinal multicenter FACTS-2-ALS study. Self-report questionnaires were administered at inclusion (T0; n = 71), at 4 months (T1), 7 months (T2), 10 months (T3) after inclusion. Median duration of follow-up was 10.0 months. Participation restrictions were assessed using the sum of the Mobility Range and Social Behavior subscales of the Sickness Impact profile-68 (SIPSOC). Autonomy in participation was assessed using the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) Questionnaire. Fast disease progression was defined as an increase of 1.1 points per month or more on the ALS Functional Rating Scale. Results: Patients reported participation restrictions in all subscales while having mild physical limitations. There was a decrease of participation over time (restrictions and autonomy). This decrease was greatest in patients with fast disease progression. Disease progression negatively influenced movement-related participation more than social interaction domains. Rate of disease progression was more strongly related to SIPSOC scores compared to IPA scores. Discussion: Preserving participation may be an important determinant of quality of care for patients with ALS. Rate of progression of the disease should be taken into account as it was found to be significantly associated with the level of participation.

Effects of Dolphin-Assisted Therapy on the Social and Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT Although several studies have shown that dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) may be beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), most of these studies have methodological weaknesses. This study tested the effectiveness of DAT in improving the social and communicative skills of children with ASD. We used a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The 48 participants were selected according to the following inclusion criteria: age between 4 and 5 years, diagnosis of ASD, and clear impairment in communication. Participants were randomly assigned to the groups: DAT and Therapy Without Dolphins (TWD). The research lasted 10 weeks. The intervention phase lasted 6 weeks and consisted of three weekly 45-min sessions, with a total of 18 sessions per participant. Therapy sessions for both groups, DAT and TWD, were conducted by a dolphin trainer and a health professional in the same facilities and under the same conditions, except for the use of the interaction with the dolphin as support for the activities. Three instruments were used to assess communicative and social skills: The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic, the Reynell Developmental Language scales, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior scales. Significant improvements were observed between the pretests and posttests in both groups, DAT and TWD, on the total scores of all the scales, except for the Social Interaction Domain of the ADOS-G. These improvements were significantly greater for the DAT group on only two items of the Language and Communication Domain, ADOS-G: “frequency of vocalizations toward others” and “gestures” (η 2 = 0.11, p < 0.05) in both cases. In conclusion, we found some evidence that DAT is a useful therapeutic intervention to foster the social and communication skills of children with ASD and that dolphins specifically can enhance the improvement of some communication-related aspects.