Repetitive Behaviors In Children Research Articles

An experimental study of acoustical design, physiological measurements, and repetitive behaviors in children with autism

Researchers have known that sound is an aspect of the environment that can have an effect on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to hypo or hypersensitivities that are commonly present in this population. What is less known is how sound is specifically correlated to behaviors and physiological phenomenon. In order to build a predictive measure of sound decibel level on behavior, children with ASD were observed in a controlled environment while exposed to varying acoustic levels. Behaviors, heart rate, ECG, and respiration were recorded during experimental sessions and results revealed that the children typically stayed on task consistently throughout the sound stimulation; however, significant ECG, HR, and respiration rate variances occurred at the different sound levels in all behaviors. The results found from this study do point to a predictive relationship when it comes to the influence of sound and physiological readings on behavior in ASD children.

Exploring Subtypes of Repetitive Behavior in Children with Autism Through Functional Analysis and Wearable Technology: a Pilot Biobehavioral Assessment.

Prior research has established assessment methodologies, such as functional analysis to identify specific contexts in which restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) occurs, and measures of heart rate variability (HRV) to index the level of autonomic arousal in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, a gap remains in integrating multiple assessment methodologies to examine the complex underlying mechanisms of RRB. This study piloted a multi-disciplinary approach to assess both the functional behavioral and neurophysiological factors that may underlie occurrences of RRB. The study (a) evaluated the effect of a modified functional analysis protocol on delineating functional subtypes of RRB and (b) explored the effect of using a wearable technology within a functional analysis on identifying the relationship between RRB and HRV. A single-case alternating treatment design was used to randomly alternate noncontingent low-stimulation and high-stimulation conditions in a modified functional analysis protocol. Simultaneous measurement of RRB and HRV was obtained through direct behavioral observations and a wristband that collects blood volume pulse, respectively. Visual analysis of time series data was used to determine the functional subtypes of RRB, and nonparametric correlational analyses were conducted to determine the association between HRV and RRB. Findings from a sample of six participants suggest preliminary effectiveness of the assessment protocol in identifying subtypes of RRB and a significant correlation between HRV and RRB. This study demonstrates the potential effect and usability of a wearable technology-aided biobehavioral approach to assess RRB and HRV in individuals with ASD.

Effects of exercise on sleep, melatonin level, and behavioral functioning in children with autism.

This study examined the impact of physical exercise on sleep and behavioral functioning in children (aged 8-12 years) with autism spectrum disorders. It also investigated whether exercise would alter endogenous melatonin level among the population. Participants were divided into two groups: exercise group (12-week, 30-min morning jogging intervention) and a control group (i.e. did not receive any physical exercise intervention during the study period). Significant improvements on sleep and behavioral functioning were found in the exercise group, but not in the control group Moreover, a significant increase in melatonin level was also shown in the exercise group. Findings of this study reconfirmed the sleep and behavioral benefits of exercise in children with autism spectrum disorder. Melatonin-mediated mechanism should be further explored to develop an effective treatment intervention.

Body-focused repetitive behaviors in children and adolescents, clinical characteristics, and the effects of treatment choices on symptoms: a single-center retrospective cohort study

This study determines clinical features of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) among a sample of Turkish children and adolescents, evaluates the naturalistic treatments selected in this sample, and determines the effects of those treatments during a 3-month follow-up. The study included a cohort of 67 patients 9 to 17 years old attending a tertiary center between March and June 2013 with complaints of nail biting, skin picking, and/or hair pulling. The patients completed psychometric scales and were evaluated for symptom severity, improvement, and adverse effects after an initial interview and at control visits during the 4th and 8th weeks. The most common BFRB was nail biting. In nail-biting behavior, subjective awareness was higher, and urges prior to the behavior and release after the behavior were found to be higher. Although there was no significant difference between the choice of treatment and the course of psychiatric measures, significant improvement was found in functionality after treatment. Despite its limitations, the small number of studies on BFRBs increases the importance of studies in this area.

Oculomotor corollary discharge signaling is related to repetitive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Corollary discharge (CD) signals are “copies” of motor signals sent to sensory regions that allow animals to adjust sensory consequences of self-generated actions. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by sensory and motor deficits, which may be underpinned by altered CD signaling. We evaluated oculomotor CD using the blanking task, which measures the influence of saccades on visual perception, in 30 children with ASD and 35 typically developing (TD) children. Participants were instructed to make a saccade to a visual target. Upon saccade initiation, the presaccadic target disappeared and reappeared to the left or right of the original position. Participants indicated the direction of the jump. With intact CD, participants can make accurate perceptual judgements. Otherwise, participants may use saccade landing site as a proxy of the presaccadic target and use it to inform perception. We used multilevel modeling to examine the influence of saccade landing site on trans-saccadic perceptual judgements. We found that, compared with TD participants, children with ASD were more sensitive to target displacement and less reliant on saccade landing site when spatial uncertainty of the post-saccadic target was high. This pattern was driven by ASD participants with less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors. These results suggest a relationship between altered CD signaling and core ASD symptoms.

Exploring the effect of motor coordination on repetitive behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorder

Objective: This study was conducted to explore the effect of motor coordination on repetitive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) aged 5–15 years. Methods: The study employed the causal-comparative design, one of the correlational survey designs. The study was carried out with data obtained from parents of 241 children with ASD. The parents were administered the measurement tools of Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2-Turkish Version to confirm the diagnosis of ASD, Demographic Information Form to obtain information about the child and the parent, Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised-Turkish Version to evaluate the repetitive behaviors, and Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire-07-Turkish Version to evaluate the motor coordination performance. The data were analyzed MANCOVA in the R package program. Results: The study results revealed that 72% of children with ASD had a risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The repetitive behaviors of children with and without DCD risk differed significantly. The severity and intensity of the repetitive behaviors of children with DCD risk were higher than those without DCD risk when age, gender, and comorbidity were taken under control. Conclusion: The motor coordination problems in children with ASD are effective on repetitive behaviors.

Aberrant dynamics of cognitive control and motor circuits predict distinct restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a defining clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). RRBs are highly heterogeneous with variable expression of circumscribed interests (CI), insistence of sameness (IS) and repetitive motor actions (RM), which are major impediments to effective functioning in individuals with ASD; yet, the neurobiological basis of CI, IS and RM is unknown. Here we evaluate a unified functional brain circuit model of RRBs and test the hypothesis that CI and IS are associated with aberrant cognitive control circuit dynamics, whereas RM is associated with aberrant motor circuit dynamics. Using task-free fMRI data from 96 children, we first demonstrate that time-varying cross-network interactions in cognitive control circuit are significantly reduced and inflexible in children with ASD, and predict CI and IS symptoms, but not RM symptoms. Furthermore, we show that time-varying cross-network interactions in motor circuit are significantly greater in children with ASD, and predict RM symptoms, but not CI or IS symptoms. We confirmed these results using cross-validation analyses. Moreover, we show that brain-clinical symptom relations are not detected with time-averaged functional connectivity analysis. Our findings provide neurobiological support for the validity of RRB subtypes and identify dissociable brain circuit dynamics as a candidate biomarker for a key clinical feature of ASD.

The development of cognitive control in children with autism spectrum disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder: A longitudinal fMRI study

Repetitive behavior is a core symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and has been associated with impairments in cognitive control. However, it is unclear how cognitive control and associated neural circuitry relate to the development of repetitive behavior in children with these disorders. In a multicenter, longitudinal study (TACTICS; Translational Adolescent and Childhood Therapeutic Interventions in Compulsive Syndromes), the development of cognitive control was assessed during late childhood using a longitudinal fMRI design with a modified stop-signal task in children with ASD or OCD, and typically developing (TD) children (baseline: N = 95 (8-12 y), follow-up: N = 53 (10-14 y), average interval: 1.48 y (sd: 0.36, range: 0.98–2.52 y). Stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) decreased over development, regardless of diagnosis. Repetitive behavior in children with ASD and OCD was not associated with performance on the stop-signal task. There were no whole-brain between-group differences in brain activity, but ROI-analyses showed increases in activity in right precentral gyrus over development for children with OCD. In sum, even though subtle differences were observed in the development of brain activity in children with OCD, overall the findings suggest that the development of cognitive control, as assessed by the stop signal task, is similar to typical in children with ASD and OCD.

Intranasal oxytocin versus placebo for hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors in children with Prader-Willi Syndrome: A randomized controlled pilot trial

ObjectiveThe effects of intranasal oxytocin and placebo on hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors were compared in children and adolescents with Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS). MethodsChildren and adolescents with PWS were enrolled in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled intranasal oxytocin randomized trial. Twenty-three (23) subjects were assigned to oxytocin (N = 11) or placebo (N = 12). Hyperphagia was measured with the Hyperphagia Questionnaire (HQ), and repetitive behavior was measured with Repetitive Behavior Scale- Revised (RBS-R). ResultsThere were modest significant treatment by-time interactions indicating reduction in hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors across time for placebo but no reduction for oxytocin. Total HQ score showed a greater average reduction of 1.81 points/week for the placebo group vs. oxytocin, with maximum reduction at week 4. There were also greater reductions on HQ-Drive and HQ-Behavior subscales on placebo vs. oxytocin. RBS-R subscales followed similar patterns to the HQ, with a significantly greater reduction in sameness subscale behaviors (average 0.825 points/week) in the placebo group compared to the oxytocin group. Oxytocin was well tolerated, and the only adverse event that was both more common and possibly related to oxytocin vs. placebo was nocturia (n = 1 vs 0). ConclusionPlacebo was associated with modest improvement in hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors in childhood PWS whereas intranasal oxytocin was not associated with improvement in these domains. More work is needed to understand the meaning and mechanism of these findings on hyperphagia and repetitive behaviors in PWS.

Effect of dance movements on stereotype and repetitive behaviours of cases with autism spectrum disorder

Objective: The objective of the study was to observe the effects of dance movements on stereotypical and repetitive behaviours of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: The sample consisted of 5 patients within the age range of 9 to 16 years. Of the pool of 15 patients, 5 were lying in the range of moderate autism spectrum disorder with a higher score on stereotypical and repetitive behaviours. There were three male and two female patients. The cases were regularly coming to the day care centre of a hospital located in the southern part of India. Participants were assessed by Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and BASIC-MR Part-B. Dance movement intervention was planned for these five cases. Results: Pre- and post-test scores were taken to observe the effects of dance movements on their behaviours. Fifteen sessions with a duration of 60 minutes per session were given. The results showed improvement in the repetitive behaviour in the sample, in which of these five, three showed greater improvement. Conclusion: Hence, the result shows that dance movement could be used as an effective method to improve stereotypical and repetitive behaviour in children diagnosed with ASD.

Elevated Polygenic Burden for Autism Spectrum Disorder Is Associated With the Broad Autism Phenotype in Mothers of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder that encompasses a complex and heterogeneous set of traits. Subclinical traits that mirror the core features of ASD, referred to as the broad autism phenotype (BAP), have been documented repeatedly in unaffected relatives and are believed to reflect underlying genetic liability to ASD. The BAP may help inform the etiology of ASD by allowing the stratification of families into more phenotypically and etiologically homogeneous subgroups. This study explores polygenic scores related to the BAP. MethodsPhenotypic and genotypic information were obtained from 2614 trios from the Simons Simplex Collection. Polygenic scores of ASD (ASD-PGSs) were generated across the sample to determine the shared genetic overlap between the BAP and ASD. Maternal and paternal ASD-PGSs were explored in relation to BAP traits and their child's ASD symptomatology. ResultsMaternal pragmatic language was related to child’s social communicative atypicalities. In fathers, rigid personality was related to increased repetitive behaviors in children. Maternal (but not paternal) ASD-PGSs were related to the pragmatic language and rigid BAP domains. ConclusionsAssociations emerged between parent and child phenotypes, with more associations emerging in mothers than in fathers. ASD-PGS associations emerged with BAP in mothers only, highlighting the potential for a female protective factor, and implicating the polygenic etiology of ASD-related phenotypes in the BAP.

Effect of dance movements on stereotype and repetitive behaviours of cases with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to observe the effects of dance movements on stereotypical and repetitive behaviours of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method The sample consisted of 5 patients within the age range of 9 to 16 years. Of the pool of 15 patients, 5 were lying in the range of moderate autism spectrum disorder with a higher score on stereotypical and repetitive behaviours. There were three male and two female patients. The cases were regularly coming to the day care centre of a hospital located in the southern part of India. Participants were assessed by Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and BASIC-MR Part-B. Dance movement intervention was planned for these five cases. Results Pre- and post-test scores were taken to observe the effects of dance movements on their behaviours. Fifteen sessions with a duration of 60 minutes per session were given. The results showed improvement in the repetitive behaviour in the sample, in which of these five, three showed greater improvement. Conclusion Hence, the result shows that dance movement could be used as an effective method to improve stereotypical and repetitive behaviour in children diagnosed with ASD.

Corollary Discharge Signaling and Repetitive Behavior in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensory and motor deficits represent core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and may contribute to restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). Corollary discharge (CD) signals are “copies” of motor signals sent to sensory brain regions that allow organisms to suppress sensory consequences of self-generated action.

Sleep Problems and Trajectories of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Sleep problems are prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and are associated with the expression of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). Children (n = 57) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 38) or developmental delay (DD, n = 19) participated in multiple assessments of intellectual ability, ASD symptoms, and RRBs (3 timepoints for ASD, 2 for DD). Sleep problems assessed at age 4 via parent report were associated with trajectories of higher-order RRBs (sameness/ritualistic/compulsive behaviors) from age 2-6 in the ASD group, and from age 2-4 in the DD group, even after controlling for intellectual ability, social-affective symptoms, and anxiety. Trajectories of stereotyped/restricted behaviors were unrelated to sleep problems. Sleep problems were associated with trajectories of higher-order (but not lower-order) RRBs in a transdiagnostic sample.

The Neurobiology of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children With Autism Using N-acetylcysteine

The Neurobiology of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children With Autism Using N-acetylcysteine

Exergames for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder associated with various etiologies and characterized by deficits in social interaction, emotional reciprocity, communication, motor skills and cognitive functions. Studies have proposed that limited levels of physical activity and late motor skills and fitness, particularly in children and adolescents with ASD, may accentuate social and emotional deficits. In view of this, exergames, which are active video-games, can be considered a low-cost and safe type of exercise for children and adolescents with ASD, since they are more enjoyable than ordinary physical activities, influencing on treatment adherence. Thus, our study aims to evidence the effects of exergames on physical fitness, cognitive functions, and repetitive behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD. Despite the small number of studies investigating the effects of exergames as new strategy in children and adolescents with ASD, results suggest exergames as potential tool for the treatment of children and adolescents with ASD for improvement in physical fitness, cognitive functions and repetitive behavior. Our review pointed towards the importance of exergames for children and adolescents with ASD. Despite few studies conducted about this issue, we can consider exergames a potential tool to increase physical fitness, cognitive functions and to decrease repetitive behavior in children and adolescents with ASD. Moreover, health professionals should be careful when attempting to help this population, because the current literature is unclear yet about the improvement of ASD features through exergames.

Fluoxetine and Repetitive Behaviors in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Fluoxetine and Repetitive Behaviors in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Gestational B-vitamin supplementation alleviates PM2.5-induced autism-like behavior and hippocampal neurodevelopmental impairment in mice offspring

Gestational exposure to PM2.5 is a worldwide environmental issue associated with long-lasting behavior abnormalities and neurodevelopmental impairments in the hippocampus of offspring. PM2.5 may induce hippocampus injury and lead to autism-like behavior such as social communication deficits and stereotyped repetitive behavior in children through neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Here, we investigated the preventive effect of B-vitamin on PM2.5-induced deleterious effects by focusing on anti-inflammation, antioxidant, synaptic remodeling and neurodevelopment. Pregnant mice were randomly divided into three groups including control group (mice subject to PBS only), model group (mice subject to both 30 μL PM2.5 of 3.456 μg/μL and 10 mL/(kg·d) PBS), and intervention group (mice subject to both 30 μL PM2.5 of 3.456 μg/μL and 10 mL/(kg·d) B-vitamin supplementation (folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 with concentrations at 0.06, 1.14 and 0.02 mg/mL, respectively)). In the current study B-vitamin significantly alleviated neurobehavioral impairment reflected in reduced social communication disorders, stereotyped repetitive behavior, along with learning and spatial memory impairment in PM2.5-stimulated mice offspring. Next, B-vitamin corrected synaptic loss and reduced mitochondrial damage in hippocampus of mice offspring, demonstrated by normalized synapse quantity, synaptic cleft, postsynaptic density (PSD) thickness and length of synaptic active area. Furthermore, significantly down-regulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-1β, and lipid peroxidation were found. We observed elevated levels of oxidant-related genes (SOD, GSH and GSH-Px). Moreover, decreased cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL-positive cells suggested inhibited PM2.5-induced apoptosis by B-vitamin. Furthermore, B-vitamin increased neurogenesis by increasing EdU-positive cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of offspring. Collectively, our results suggest that B-vitamin supplementation exerts preventive effect on autism-like behavior and neurodevelopmental impairment in hippocampus of mice offspring gestationally exposed to PM2.5, to which alleviated mitochondrial damage, increased anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity and synaptic efficiency, reduced neuronal apoptosis and improved hippocampal neurogenesis may contribute.

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB) often impedes functional behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Occupational therapists (OTs) may need to address RRBs with this population in order to facilitate the client’s functional goals. Semi-structured interviews with seven experienced Canadian OTs explored a range of RRB interventions together with the associated clinical reasoning underlying their use. Twenty-four reported interventions and four core themes related to occupational therapy practice, RRBs, and ASD were revealed. Reported interventions were compared to evidenced based interventions as well as mapped using the PEO model of occupational performance and an applied behavior analysis framework.

Interrelationship Between Cognitive Control, Anxiety, and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome.

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) are common in individuals with 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), yet the underlying mechanisms of these behaviors remain poorly characterized. In the present pilot investigation, we aimed to further our understanding of RRB in 22q11.2DS by exploring their relationship with cognitive control and anxiety as well as with sex, chronological age, and full-scale IQ. Parents of 38 children with 22q11.2DS (17 females; Mage = 11.15 years, SD = 2.46) completed the Social Communication Questionnaire as a measure of RRB and social and communication (SC) problems and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-2 as a measure of anxiety and cognitive control. Higher RRB scores were significantly associated with higher anxiety levels (r = 0.44, P = 0.006), more impairments in cognitive control (r = 0.56, P < 0.001), and higher SC scores (r = 0.43, P = 0.011). In the first step of the hierarchical regression model, anxiety accounted for 24.5% of variance (F = 10.05, P = 0.003); cognitive control accounted for an additional 18.1% of variance (Fchange = 11.15, P < 0.001) in the second step; SC score accounted for only 0.8% of additional variance in the third step (Fchange = 0.40, P = 0.53). The final model explained 43.4% of variance (F = 7.42, P = 0.001), with cognitive control as a unique independent predictor of RRB score (t = 2.52, P = 0.01). The current study provides the first exploration of the cognitive control-anxiety-RRB link in individuals with 22q11.2DS and points to cognitive control as a potentially viable target for treatments aimed at reducing RRB. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1737-1744. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: People with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome show high levels of repetitive behaviors, however, the previous research has not explored why people with this syndrome exhibit high rates of repetitive behaviors. Understanding the reasons for the high levels of repetitive behaviors is important given that these behaviors can be highly impairing. Our study found that repetitive behaviors were associated with impaired ability to self-regulate and high levels of anxiety. These findings need to be further replicated; however, they are important as they suggest potentially promising ways of reducing these behaviors.