Pervasive Developmental Disorder Research Articles

Modification of ABA VB Therapy Methods with Pomodoro to Improve Verbal Communication in Autism Children

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder in children characterized by disturbances and delays in cognitive, language, behavioral, and social interactions. Verbal Behavior approach is one of the methods of ABA which is used to increase desired behavior and reduce unwanted problems, while pomodoro is a timing technique. This article describes the implementation of an intervention program for children with autism, this program modifies ABA VB therapy and combines it with a timing technique, namely POMODORO. The author implemented the program for 4 meetings. At the first meeting until the fourth meeting there was an increase in the child's verbal ability although it was not so visible. The intervention program developed by the author had good results, because at the first meeting the results were already visible. This intervention should be done repeatedly or routinely so that children get used to it and get maximum results.

Administration of Atosiban, an oxytocin receptor antagonist, ameliorates autistic-like behaviors in a female rat model of valproic acid-induced autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder with gender differences. Oxytocin (OXT) is currently an important candidate drug for autism, but the lack of data on female autism is a big issue. It has been reported that the effect of OXT is likely to be different between male and female ASD patients. In the study, we specifically explored the role of the OXT signaling pathway in a VPA-induced female rat’s model of autism. The data showed that there was an increase of either oxytocin or its receptor expressions in both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex of VPA-induced female offspring. To determine if the excess of OXT signaling contributed to autism symptoms in female rats, exogenous oxytocin and oxytocin receptor antagonists Atosiban were used in the experiment. It was found that exogenous oxytocin triggered autism-like behaviors in wild-type female rats by intranasal administration. More interestingly, several autism-like deficits including social interaction, anxiety, and repeat stereotypical sexual behavior in the VPA female offspring were significantly attenuated by oxytocin receptor antagonists Atosiban. Moreover, Atosiban also effectively improved the synaptic plasticity impairment induced by VPA in female offspring. Our results suggest that oxytocin receptor antagonists significantly improve autistic-like behaviors in a female rat model of valproic acid-induced autism.

Coping Styles among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Introduction: Autism falls under the most common category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). It is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability characterized by persistent and pervasive impairments that include challenges with social understanding and communication, difficulty adapting to new situations, and exhibiting repetitive behaviors or interests. Caring for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be an arduous task for caregivers all around the globe. To tide through the various phases of development, certain coping mechanisms are applied by the parents of children with ASD. An impact on the level of parental distress can be evaluated being based on parental coping styles concerning developmental disabilities. Objective: To assess the coping among the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and to measure the association of coping styles with selected background variables. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among 174 parents of children with ASD in selected autism care centers in Kathmandu, Nepal. The data was collected using a questionnaire developed by taking the reference from the Brief COPE questionnaire to evaluate the coping styles used by parents. Descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test) were used to analyze data in SPSS vs20. Results: The findings of the study revealed, the majority of the respondents were below 35 years of age (70.1%), female (55.2%), belonged to the Brahmin/Chhetri (63.2%) ethnic group, had a single child (62.1%), belonged to nuclear family (52.9%), were homemakers (34.5%), able to spend sufficiently economically (66.7%) and having a graduate or higher education (71.3%). Similarly, the majority of autistic children were aged between 1 to 5 years (93.1%), and were males (71.3%). In terms of birth order, the majority of children with autism were firstborns (72.4%), did not have any other illnesses (96.6%), and were diagnosed at the age of less than 3 years (62.1%). Overall, the majority of the parents used a problem-focused coping style with a mean of 3.2±0.3, followed by avoidant coping style (2.7±0.4) and emotion-focused coping style (2.5±0.5). Likewise, there was there was a significant association of avoidant coping style with the age of respondents and the number of children they have, emotion-focused coping with ethnicity, and occupation of respondents. Again, the sex of respondents, level of education of spouse, and level of autism of children of respondents were found to have a significant association with both avoidant and emotion-focused coping styles. Overall, the level of education of respondents was associated with overall coping strategies. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the study concludes that the majority of the respondents used problem problem-focused coping style, followed by avoidant and emotion-focused coping styles. Significant associations were found between various coping styles and demographic attributes such as age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, level of education of respondents as well as their spouse, and the level of ASD of their children. Understanding the coping styles is central to supporting the parents’ coping efforts. Providing parents with effective techniques to manage their emotions can greatly influence how they view their situation, the intensity of the symptoms of their children, and the psychological distress associated with it.

Use of an adaptive sensory environment in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the perioperative environment: a parallel, randomized controlled trial

Patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience higher rates of perioperative anxiety and are likely to receive premedication. Little is known about nonpharmaceutical interventions which may decrease anxiety. This study aims to evaluate the use of an adaptive sensory environment (ASE) to reduce ASD patient anxiety during the perioperative process. Our feasibility study (ClinicalTrials.govNCT04994613) enrolled 60 patients in two parallel groups randomized to a control (no ASE) or intervention group (ASE). We included all surgical patients aged three to twelve years, with a formal diagnosis of ASD, Asperger's Syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Preoperative behaviors were recorded by an unblinded nurse utilizing the validated Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS). The difference in score on the mYPAS was the primary outcome, and an intention-to-treat analysis was employed. A generalized estimating equations model was used to compare mYPAS scores controlling for significant independent variables. 58 patients were analyzed after 1:1 randomization of 30 patients to each group. Groups were balanced except the median number of intraoperative pain medications was significantly lower in the ASE group (1 vs. 3, p=0.012). Mean (SD) age for all patients was 7.2 (2.9) years, range 2.6-12.7. 72.4% (42/58) were White and all were Non-Hispanic or Latino. 74% were Male (21/30 ASE and 22/28 Control) and 26% were Female (9/30 ASE and 6/28 Control). No differences were found in mYPAS scores between groups at three time periods (43.5 vs. 42, p=0.88, 47.8 vs. 48.4, p=0.76, and 36.4 vs. 43.8, p=0.15, ASE vs. control group, respectively). The ASE group had a significant within-group decrease in mYPAS scores from nursing intake to transition (p=0.030). An ASE did not significantly reduce perioperative anxiety. However, the promising results deserve further investigation. Dayton Children's Hospital Foundation Robert C. Cohn Memorial Research Grant.

Autism Spectrum Disorder- and/or Intellectual Disability-Associated Semaphorin-5A Exploits the Mechanism by Which Dock5 Signalosome Molecules Control Cell Shape.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Individuals with ASD may exhibit difficulties in social interactions, communication challenges, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. While genetic mutations in individuals with ASD can either activate or inactivate the activities of the gene product, impacting neuronal morphogenesis and causing symptoms, the underlying mechanism remains to be fully established. Herein, for the first time, we report that genetically conserved Rac1 guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Dock5 signalosome molecules control process elongation in the N1E-115 cell line, a model line capable of achieving neuronal morphological changes. The increased elongation phenotypes observed in ASD and intellectual disability (ID)-associated Semaphorin-5A (Sema5A) Arg676-to-Cys [p.R676C] were also mediated by Dock5 signalosome molecules. Indeed, knockdown of Dock5 using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CasRx-based guide(g)RNA specifically recovered the mutated Sema5A-induced increase in process elongation in cells. Knockdown of Elmo2, an adaptor molecule of Dock5, also exhibited similar recovery. Comparable results were obtained when transfecting the interaction region of Dock5 with Elmo2. The activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), one of the primary signal transduction molecules underlying process elongation, was ameliorated by either their knockdown or transfection. These results suggest that the Dock5 signalosome comprises abnormal signaling involved in the process elongation induced by ASD- and ID-associated Sema5A. These molecules could be added to the list of potential therapeutic target molecules for abnormal neuronal morphogenesis in ASD at the molecular and cellular levels.

За някои разстройства на детската реч: ранен детски аутизъм, вербална диспраксия на развитието, фетален алкохолен синдром

The main function of speech is the communicative one, i.e. the transmission of comprehensive information from the speaker to his interlocutor and vice versa. The communicative chain model has long been known in linguistics and its simplified form includes addressee (encoding)→ message/noise→ (decoding)→ addressee. It can be seen that interference could occur on both sides of the communication chain. In this paper, we will briefly describe some problems in communication due to pervasive developmental disorders such as early childhood autism as well as developmental verbal dyspraxia, and fetal alcohol syndrome. A relationship between neural patterns and the disorders under consideration will be outlined in general terms.

A comprehensive analysis of age of onset and cumulative incidence of mental disorders: A Danish register study.

The age of onset (AOO), incidence and cumulative incidence of mental disorders are critical epidemiological measures, providing essential insights into the development and course of these disorders across the lifespan. This study aims to provide up-to-date estimates of the AOO, age-specific incidence, and cumulative incidence for a comprehensive range of mental disorders using data from Danish registers. We conducted a follow-up study encompassing all Danish residents from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2021, totaling 91,613,465 person-years. Data were sourced from the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, identifying individuals treated for various mental disorders in psychiatric hospitals, outpatient departments, and accident/emergency departments, that is, treated in secondary care settings. We investigated specific categories of mental disorders, including substance abuse disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, borderline personality disorders, intellectual disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, and behavioral and emotional disorders. Age-sex-specific incidence rates were estimated using Poisson generalized linear models, and cumulative incidence was calculated using Aalen-Johansen's competing risks model. The study provides estimates of AOO, incidence, and cumulative incidence for various mental disorders, including their age and sex distributions. The cumulative incidence by age 80 years for any mental disorder was 30.72% (95% confidence interval: 30.62%-30.83%) for males and 34.46% (34.35%-34.57%) for females. The most common types of mental disorders were anxiety-related disorders 16.27% (16.19%-16.36%) for males and 23.39% (23.29%-23.50%) for females, and followed by mood disorder 10.34% (10.27%-10.41%) for males and 16.67% (16.58%-16.77%) for females. For those who develop mental disorder, half will have developed their disorder by approximately age 22 years (median and interquartile range: males 21.37 (11.85-36.00); females 22.55 (16.31-36.08)). Approximately one in three individuals will seek treatment for at least one mental disorder in a secondary care setting by age 80. Given that half of these individuals develop mental disorders before age 22, it is crucial to tailor service planning to meet the specific needs of young individuals. Web-based interactive data-visualization tools are provided for clinical utility.

Epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric cardiac arrest in a cardiovascular unit at a public hospital in Argentina.

Children with congenital heart disease present a higher frequency of cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) than the general pediatric population. The epidemiology of CRA is not exactly known in our setting, nor are the mortality risk or the neurological evolution factors. To describe the epidemiology and outcomes associated with pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiovascular recovery unit. The primary endpoint was the survival to discharge and the secondary endpoints were the return to spontaneous circulation, the survival at 24 hours and the remote neurological condition. Descriptive, prospective, longitudinal cohort study in children under 18 years of age who required cardiopulmonary resuscitation between 2016 and 2019. Demographic variables, characteristics of cardiopulmonary arrest, resuscitation and outcome were analyzed. An uni- and multivariate analysis was performed comparing survivors and deceased. Out of 1,842 hospitalized patients, 4.1% presented CRA. Fifty patients with complete records were analyzed. Seventy-eight percent (39) returned to spontaneous circulation with a high survival rate of 46%. Resuscitation > 6 min and the use of vasoactive drugs were predictors of mortality; 16/23 patients were followed up, 10 of them with normal development for age at 6 months, six had pervasive developmental disorder. 4.1% of patients presented CRA, with a rate of 3.4 CRA per 1,000 patient-days. Survival at hospital discharge (n = 50) was 46%. Resuscitation > 6 min and the use of vasoactive drugs were independent predictors of mortality. At six months, 63% had normal neurological development for age.

Developmental changes in prefrontal cortex activation in children with or without autism spectrum traits on near-infrared spectroscopy

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) ranges from mild to severe symptoms, with autistic traits possibly distributed throughout the population. However, the precise neurodevelopmental differences in children with autistic traits remain unknown. Subjects and methodsFifty-three healthy volunteers (32 male and 21 female, mean [standard deviation] age: 12.9 [2.5] years) having a normal intelligence quotient and without social impairment were divided into two groups according to scores of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS). Subjects with or without autistic traits were placed into the high-PARS (n = 14) or low-PARS (n = 39) group, respectively. Activation of the prefrontal cortex was estimated using change in hemoglobin oxygenation concentration (Δ[oxy-Hb]) on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during a verbal fluency test. Age-related changes in prefrontal cortex activation were first assessed for each group. Then, the effects of age (elementary school age or junior/senior high school age) and PARS score on Δ[oxy-Hb] in the task were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. ResultsWe observed significant positive correlations between mean Δ[oxy-Hb] and age in the prefrontal cortex region in the low-PARS group. Mean Δ[oxy-Hb] in the low-PARS group was significantly higher than in the high-PARS group. Task performance results were comparable between the groups. ConclusionIn PARS-determined typically developed children, prefrontal cortex activation on NIRS correlated positively with age. In healthy volunteers without ASD but harboring autistic traits, prefrontal cortex activation was markedly lower than in normal counterparts. Our results provide biological evidence that ASD may be a pervasively distributed disorder.

Cognitive functioning in adolescents with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery or intensive non-surgical treatment in Sweden (AMOS2): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

Severe obesity during childhood is associated with cognitive deficits. Studies in adults have suggested improvements in executive functioning and memory after bariatric surgery. Our aim was to explore changes in cognitive function in adolescents over two years after bariatric surgery or intensive non-surgical treatment. The Adolescent Morbid Obesity Surgery 2 (AMOS2) is a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial in which adolescents (aged 13-16 years) with severe obesity (defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥35kg/m2) at three specialised obesity centres in Sweden, were randomly assigned to receive bariatric surgery or intensive non-surgical treatment. Herein we report the results of the prespecified exploratory endpoint of change in cognitive functioning. Inclusion in AMOS2 required Tanner pubertal stage ≥3, previous participation in lifestyle obesity treatment for at least one year, and passed assessment form a paediatrician and a paediatric psychologist. Adolescents with severe intellectual disability or other severe, pervasive developmental disorder were excluded. Participants underwent baseline assessment of general intellectual ability, executive functioning, and memory before randomisation. Tests were administrated by clinical psychologists and repeated at one- and two-year follow-up timepoints. Differences in means between groups during follow-up are provided with confidence intervals. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02378259. Between October 28 2015 and June 7 2017, 46 adolescents (74% girls), with a mean age of 15.8 (±0.92) years and a mean BMI of 42.8 (±5.4) kg/m2, were included and randomised (23 to bariatric surgery and 23 to intensive non-surgical treatment). At baseline 23/46 (50%) of the adolescents had general intellectual functioning classified as borderline or below. For 15/18 (83%) aspects of cognitive functioning, no significant differences in change over two years were identified between groups; Immediate (average difference during follow-up 1.0 [95% CI:-2.6 to 4.6]) and Delayed (0.5 [95% CI:-0.6 to 1.6]) Verbal Recall, Category Fluency (1.1 [95% CI:-1.6 to 3.8]) and Switching (1.5 [95% CI:-0.0 to 2.9]), Number (-6.0 [95% CI:-12.3 to 0.3]) and Letter (0.1 [95% CI:-5.2 to 5.3]) Sequencing, Number-Letter Switching (-10.3 [95% CI:-26.4 to 5.8]), Motor Speed (-8.3 [95% CI:-17.5 to 0.9]), Colour Naming (-1.9 [95% CI:-4.2 to 0.3]), Inhibition (-3.6 [95% CI:-9.6 to 2.5]), Inhibition Switching (-6.7 [95% CI:-15.3 to 1.9]), Mazes (-0.5 [95% CI:-4.9 to 3.9]), Digit Span Forward (0.1 [95% CI:-0.6 to 0.9 ]) and Backward (0.6 [95% CI:-0.4 to 1.6 ]), and Estimated IQ (0.4 [95% CI:-3.9 to 4.8]; all p>0.05). Three sub-tests assessing fundamental cognitive skills improved more over two years in operated adolescents than in intensive non-surgical treatment; Letter Fluency (average difference during follow-up 3.8 [95% CI: 0.1-7.5]; p=0.046), Visual Scanning (-6.5 [95% CI:-11.6 to-1.5]; p=0.011), and Word Reading (-1.9 [95% CI:-3.3 to-0.4]; p=0.011). In contrast to non-randomised studies in adults, we could not demonstrate an association of bariatric surgery and its accompanying significant weight loss with overall greater improvement in executive functions and memory in adolescents over two years compared with a non-surgical group without weight loss. However, lack of statistical power is a potential limitation. The clinical relevance of greater improvements in basic cognitive skills needs to be explored. Sweden's innovation agency (VINNOVA), Swedish Research Council, Joanna Cocozza foundation for paediatric research, The Skane University Hospital Psychology Research and Development Grant, Tore Nilsson's Foundation, SUS Foundations and Donations, and Mary von Sydow's Foundation.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: INCLUSIVE PRACTICES IN THE TRAINING OF EDUCATORS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

The study highlights Special Education as a comprehensive teaching modality, which encompasses all levels, stages and educational modalities. It focuses on Specialized Educational Assistance (AEE), providing resources, services and guidance to improve the teaching and learning process in regular classrooms. According to educational policy, Special Education must be implemented in all teaching contexts, aiming to serve students with disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders (TGD) or high abilities/giftedness.The current approach emphasizes the coexistence and collaboration between Special Education and regular education, moving away from the previous substitutive vision. In this sense, the responsibility for the education of students with disabilities, TGD or high abilities/giftedness is shared between the regular class teacher, responsible for the curriculum, and the teacher specializing in AEE, responsible for creating conditions that meet the specific needs of these students. This approach seeks to overcome barriers to promote inclusive education, ensuring not only access and retention, but also the effective learning of these students, integrating them in a meaningful way in common classrooms. From this new perspective, Special Education is no longer seen as a substitute alternative to regular education, taking on a complementary or supplementary role. This implies a change in the understanding of the role of the specialist teacher, who now works together with the regular class teacher to ensure inclusive and effective education.

Risk of Autoimmune Disease in Research-Identified Cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Birth Cohort Study.

Determine the risk of autoimmune disease in research-identified cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with referents using a longitudinal, population-based birth cohort. ASD incident cases were identified from a population-based birth cohort of 31,220 individuals. Inclusive ASD definition based on DSM-IV-TR autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified, was used to determine ASD cases. For each ASD case, 2 age- and sex-matched referents without ASD were identified. Diagnosis codes assigned between birth and December 2017 were electronically obtained. Individuals were classified as having an autoimmune disorder if they had at least 2 diagnosis codes more than 30 days apart. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) between ASD status and autoimmune disorder. Of 1014 ASD cases, 747 (73.7%) were male. Fifty ASD cases and 59 of the 1:2 matched referents were diagnosed with first autoimmune disorder at the median age of 14 and 17.1 years, respectively. ASD cases had increased risk of autoimmune disease compared with matched referents (HR 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-2.52). The increased risk was statistically significant among male patients (HR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.26-3.21) but not among the smaller number of female subjects (HR 1.38; 95% CI, 0.76-2.50). This study provides evidence from a longitudinal, population-based birth cohort for co-occurrence of ASD and autoimmune disorders. Thus, children with ASD should be monitored for symptoms of autoimmune disease and appropriate workup initiated.

A hybrid CNN-SVM model for enhanced autism diagnosis.

Autism is a representative disorder of pervasive developmental disorder. It exerts influence upon an individual's behavior and performance, potentially co-occurring with other mental illnesses. Consequently, an effective diagnostic approach proves to be invaluable in both therapeutic interventions and the timely provision of medical support. Currently, most scholars' research primarily relies on neuroimaging techniques for auxiliary diagnosis and does not take into account the distinctive features of autism's social impediments. In order to address this deficiency, this paper introduces a novel convolutional neural network-support vector machine model that integrates resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data with the social responsiveness scale metrics for the diagnostic assessment of autism. We selected 821 subjects containing the social responsiveness scale measure from the publicly available Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange dataset, including 379 subjects with autism spectrum disorder and 442 typical controls. After preprocessing of fMRI data, we compute the static and dynamic functional connectivity for each subject. Subsequently, convolutional neural networks and attention mechanisms are utilized to extracts their respective features. The extracted features, combined with the social responsiveness scale features, are then employed as novel inputs for the support vector machine to categorize autistic patients and typical controls. The proposed model identifies salient features within the static and dynamic functional connectivity, offering a possible biological foundation for clinical diagnosis. By incorporating the behavioral assessments, the model achieves a remarkable classification accuracy of 94.30%, providing a more reliable support for auxiliary diagnosis.

A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STROOP TASK PERFORMANCE TO IMPROVE VISUAL PERCEPTUAL DISCRIMINATION AMONG VARIOUS CHILDHOOD DISORDERS AT SELECTED HOME, PUDUCHERRY

Background: The Stroop effect is a simple phenomenon that reveals a lot about the brain processes information. The Stroop effect is our tendency to experience difficulty naming a physical color when it is used to spell the name of a different color. It is a neuropsychological test extensively used to assess the ability to inhibit cognitive interference that occurs when the processing of a specific stimulus feature impedes the simultaneous processing of a second stimulus attribute, well-known as the Stroop Effect. The childhood disorder is an any illness, impairment, or abnormal condition that affects primarily infants and children. Some of the childhood disorders like Mild Mental Retardation, Learning Disorders, Motor Skills Disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders, Eating disorders of infancy or early childhood, Tic disorders. Visual perceptual discrimination is the brain’s ability to accurately perceive information in a complex, fluid and confusing situation and, even more importantly, to accurately differentiate amongst confusable types of information and ability to identify detail seeing Items like differences in shape, color and orientation. Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to assess the level of visual perceptual discrimination among various childhood disorders. To evaluate the level of visual perceptual discrimination before and after administration of Stroop task performance among various childhood disorders. To associate the level of visual perceptual discrimination among various childhood disorders with their selected demographic variables. Materials and Methods: The research approach used in the study was Quantitative in nature. Pre –Experimental One group Pre- test Post test design was used. Purposive Sampling technique was used to select the samples. A total of 30 Children’s with various childhood disorders were selected for this study. Visual Perceptual Discrimination checklist was used to assess the Visual Perceptual Discrimination Problems among children with childhood disorder and administering stroop task performance using Flashcard was used for intervention and Post test was conducted by using same tool in same manner. Results and Conclusion: The result showed that majority of the childhood disorders at selected home 26(86.7%) had low and 4(13.3%) had moderate level of visual perceptual discrimination during Pre test. The Calculated paired‘t’ value was t= -8.55 and was found to be statistically significant at -P=<0.001 level. After Intervention majority of childhood disorders at selected home 16(53.3%) had low and 14(46.7%) had moderate level of visual perceptual discrimination. There was area of residence and type of childhood disorders had shown statistically significant association between post testlevel of visual perceptual discrimination among various childhood disorders with their selected demographic variables. The other demographic variable had not shown statistically significant association between the post-test level of visual Perceptual discrimination among various childhood disorders with their selected demographic variables .The researcher concluded that by administering Stroop task performance shows that the intervention helps in improving the level of visual perceptual discrimination in good range and found to be one of the helpful interventions in improving the level of visual perceptual discrimination among children with various childhood disorders. The study had proved that Effectiveness and excellent changes in improvement of visual perceptual discrimination among Children\s with various childhood disorders.

Two-Year Autism Risk Screening and 3-Year Developmental Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants

Use of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised With Follow-Up, a 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool, has been questioned due to reports of poor sensitivity and specificity. How this measure captures developmental delays for very preterm infants may provide support for continued use in pediatric care settings. To determine whether autism risk screening with the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years is associated with behavioral and developmental outcomes at age 3 in very preterm infants. Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes for Very Preterm Infants was a longitudinal, multisite cohort study. Enrollment occurred April 2014 to June 2016, and analyses were conducted from November 2022 to May 2023. Data were collected across 9 university-affiliated neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Inclusion criteria were infants born less than 30 weeks' gestational age, a parent who could read and speak English and/or Spanish, and residence within 3 hours of the NICU and follow-up clinic. Prematurity and use of the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years. Outcomes include cognitive, language, motor composites on Bayley Scales for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III) and internalizing, externalizing, total problems, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) subscale on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at age 3 years. Generalized estimating equations tested associations between the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool and outcomes, adjusting for covariates. A total of 467 children (mean [SD] gestational age, 27.1 [1.8] weeks; 243 male [52%]) were screened with the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years, and outcome data at age 3 years were included in analyses. Mean (SD) maternal age at birth was 29 (6) years. A total of 51 children (10.9%) screened positive on the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years. Children with positive screening results were more likely to have Bayley-III composites of 84 or less on cognitive (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.03; 95% CI, 1.65-9.81), language (aOR, 5.38; 95% CI, 2.43-11.93), and motor (aOR, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.19-10.25) composites and more likely to have CBCL scores of 64 or higher on internalizing (aOR, 4.83; 95% CI, 1.88-12.44), externalizing (aOR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.09-6.61), and PDD (aOR, 3.77; 95% CI, 1.72-8.28) scales. Results suggest that the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool administered at age 2 years was a meaningful screen for developmental delays in very preterm infants, with serious delays detected at age 3 years.

Investigating the borders of autism spectrum disorder: lessons from the former diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis is relatively consensual in typical forms. The margins of the spectrum and their degree of extension, however, are controversial. This has far-reaching implications, which extend beyond theoretical considerations: first, peripheral forms of autism are more prevalent than central forms; second, we do not know how relevant typical-targeted recommendations are for atypical forms. In DSM-IV-TR, these margins of autism were studied within the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). In spite of its low reliability, this former diagnosis was of particular interest to shed light on the gray area of margins. The aim of this systematic is therefore to investigate the clinical characteristics of PDD-NOS in comparison with Autistic Disorder. A stepwise systematic PRISMA literature review was conducted by searching PubMed and Web Of Science databases to select corresponding studies. The systematic review included 81 studies comprising 6,644 children with PDD-NOS. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies comparing PDD-NOS and AD showed that PDD-NOS corresponds to milder form of autism with less impact and less associated disorder, with the exception of schizophrenia and mood disorder. Our review challenges initial views of PDD-NOS, and shows the clinical relevance of this diagnosis when dealing with the margins of autism, and the de facto diversity included in the spectrum. However, in view of the many limitations of PDD-NOS (low reliability, instability through time, low acceptability), we suggest taxonomic changes in DSM-5: we introduce a new category based on three main dimensions related to socialization impairment, emotional lability and psychotic symptoms. Our review argues for a distinction between AD and PDD-NOS on clinical characteristics and thus highlights the need to study the margins of autism. While the limitations of the PDD-NOS category made it irrelevant to investigate these margins from a research perspective, we believe that a multidimensional approach for mental health professionals taping socialization, emotion lability and psychotic symptoms would be interesting. Our review therefore encourage future studies to test relevant criteria for a new category and possibly identify developmental trajectories, specific interventions and treatments.

Physiotherapeutic intervention in autistic children with hypotonia: Approaches, benefits and therapeutic perspectives

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that can be identified before the age of three. The main characteristics of behavior are repetitive and stereotyped, limitations in activities and interests, impairment in the development of verbal and non-verbal language and quantitative deficits in interaction and communication. The objective of this work is to describe a physiotherapeutic intervention in autistic children with hypotonia: approaches, benefits and therapeutic perspectives. It is characterized by a Systematic Literature Review. Physiotherapy intervention has been shown to provide substantial benefits for autistic children with hypotonia. This includes improvements in muscle strength, motor coordination, balance and posture. Furthermore, physiotherapy can contribute to improving respiratory function and mobility, facilitating children's participation in daily activities.

Assessment of basic immunological parameters in children with seizure disorders during acute infection

Introduction and objective: The objective of the study was to assess basic immunological parameters in children presenting with seizure disorders during acute infection. Materials and methods: The study was conducted from 19 January 2017 to 5 December 2020 at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology in Poznań, and involved 121 patients aged 5–188 months: 64 with febrile seizures and 11 with generalised epilepsy. The control group comprised 46 patients with delayed psychomotor and intellectual development, pervasive developmental disorders, and neurodeficits. A complete blood count with differential white cell count, inflammatory markers, immunoglobulin classes (IgG, IgA, IgM), and the aetiology of infection were analysed using standard laboratory methods in all the cases. Results: Lower IgG was found in the febrile seizures group, and lower IgA was observed in the simple febrile seizure group compared to the patients after epileptic seizures. Patients with first-time simple febrile seizures showed lower IgG levels than the control group. Patients with generalised epilepsy and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) showed lower IgG than the non-infected subjects. Patients with first-time complex febrile seizures had the lowest lymphocyte count compared to the control group. The lowest neutrophil count and total leukocyte count were found in HHV-6-infected patients with simple febrile seizures compared to the non-infected patients. Conclusions: Monitoring basic haematological parameters and immunoglobulin levels is an effective strategy in the diagnosis of seizure disorders in children. Screening tests provide an initial quantitative assessment of humoral and cellular responses, as well as impaired phagocytosis.

RhoG-Binding Domain of Elmo1 Ameliorates Excessive Process Elongation Induced by Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Sema5A.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. ASD is characterized by poor interpersonal relationships and strong attachment. The correlations between activated or inactivated gene products, which occur as a result of genetic mutations affecting neurons in ASD patients, and ASD symptoms are now of critical concern. Here, for the first time, we describe the process in which that the respective ASD-associated mutations (Arg676-to-Cys [R676C] and Ser951-to-Cys [S951C]) of semaphorin-5A (Sema5A) localize Sema5A proteins themselves around the plasma membrane in the N1E-115 cell line, a model line that can achieve neuronal morphological differentiation. The expression of each mutated construct resulted in the promotion of excessive elongation of neurite-like processes with increased differentiation protein markers; R676C was more effective than S951C. The differentiated phenotypes were very partially neutralized by an antibody, against Plexin-B3 as the specific Sema5A receptor, suggesting that the effects of Sema5A act in an autocrine manner. R676C greatly increased the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), one of the signaling molecules underlying process elongation. In contrast, the blocking of JNK signaling, by a chemical JNK inhibitor or an inhibitory construct of the interaction of RhoG with Elmo1 as JNK upstream signaling molecules, recovered the excessive process elongation. These results suggest that ASD-associated mutations of Sema5A, acting through the JNK signaling cascade, lead to excessive differentiated phenotypes, and the inhibition of JNK signaling recovers them, revealing possible therapeutic targets for recovering the potential molecular and cellular phenotypes underlying certain ASD symptoms.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MUSIC THERAPY USING PIANO AND CHORUS TEACHING METHOD TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE ABILITY AND SOCIAL BARRIERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Autism in children is an abnormality of pervasive developmental disorder caused by biological factors, mainly manifested by social disorders, language disorders, and behavioural problems. After years of music therapy research and practical teaching, the author found that piano performance and choral singing can help autistic children improve their language skills and social disorders. This paper uses quantitative research methods. Data sampling and experimental investigation were conducted on 256 teachers at Chengdu Autism Institution who used piano and choral pedagogy in music therapy to improve language ability and treat social disorders in children. By using SPSS and through the comparative analysis of data before and after the experiment, study the intervention effect of using piano and choral pedagogy in music therapy for children with autism on improving language ability and treating social disorders in children with autism. This study found that using this method greatly affects the improvement of language ability and social impairment in children with autism.