Levels Of Stereotypy Research Articles

Study of the effect of phosphorylated carboxylic acids new derivatives on the main behavioral disorders in rats in the valproate model of autism

BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing frequency of autism in the population, the complexity of behavioral symptoms, and the need for long-term therapy, it is important to find new safe drugs for the correction of behavioral disorders.
 AIM: Studying the possibility of correcting behavioral changes characteristic of autism in rats in the valproate model of autism using new derivatives of phosphorylated carboxylic acids.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS: The possibility of correcting behavioral disorders in male and female rats in the valproate model of autism was studied with intraperitoneal administration (7 days) of new derivatives from the group of phosphorylated acetohydrazides (B2, C5) and thiosemicarbazide (T8) in doses of 1/100 LD50 on behavioral tests “Elevated Plus Maze”, “Burying Balls”, “Extended Open Field”. Statistical processing was carried out in the GraphPad prism 8.0.1 program using Student's t-test.
 RESULTS: It was found that the most pronounced anxiolytic effect on rats with autism was exerted by the compound 2-[(diphenylphosphoryl)acetyl]-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (T8), increasing by 4.8 times (p=0.033) in females and 4.4 times (p=0.036) in males, the time they spent in open arms in the “Elevated Plus Maze” test. The corrective effect on social behavior in rats with autism was most noted for T8 and B2 [2-ethoxy-2-oxoethanammonium salt (2-ethoxy-2-oxotyl) phenylphosphinic acid], which was characterized by an increase in the time spent with a social object (unfamiliar rat) 6.4 times (p=0.04) and 5.2 times (p=0.039), respectively, in the “Extended open field” method. When assessing the behavior of rats in the valproate model of autism in the “Burying Balls” test, it was found that the use of B2, T8 and C5 reduced the level of stereotypy, reducing the number of buried balls by 1.7 times (p=0.009), 1.5 times (p=0.046 ) and 1.7 times (p=0.011), respectively, compared to rats in the valproate model of autism without treatment.
 CONCLUSION: Derivatives of phosphorylated acetohydrazides and thiosemicarbazide have an anxiolytic effect, correct disturbances in social behavior and reduce the severity of stereotypic behavior in rats in the valproate model of autism.

Relationship between serum cortisol levels, stereotypies, and the presence of autism spectrum disorder in patients with severe intellectual disability

Stereotypies are one of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are common to both ASD and intellectual disability (ID). Previous studies have been inconclusive, with some showing a positive correlation between stereotypies and cortisol, while others have shown a negative correlation. We hypothesised and investigated the presence of ASD as one of the variables involved in this discrepancy. We tested the following hypotheses on serum cortisol in a total of 84 hospitalised patients with severe ID and ASD with severe ID. Hypothesis (1) Higher levels of stereotypies are associated with higher levels of serum cortisol. Hypothesis (2) The presence of ASD will moderate the association between stereotypies and high serum cortisol levels. The results of the analysis supported hypotheses (1) and (2). We also found that in the population with ID, serum cortisol levels were significantly lower in the ASD group compared to the non-ASD group. The present findings that the association between stereotypies and serum cortisol levels in people with severe ID is moderated by the presence of ASD suggest that the stress response system may function differently in people with ID and ASD than in the general population.

Male and female red-cheeked cordon bleus sing similar yet individualistic songs.

Birdsong is an excellent system for studying complex vocal signaling in both males and females. Historically, most research in captivity has focused only on male song. This has left a gap in our understanding of the environmental, neuroendocrine, and mechanistic control of female song. Here, we report the overall acoustic features, repertoire, and stereotypy of both male and female Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus (Uraeginthus bengalus) (RCCBs) songs in the lab. We found few sex differences in the acoustic structure, song repertoire, and song stereotypy of RCCBs. Both sexes had similar song entropy, peak frequency, and duration. Additionally, individuals of both sexes sang only a single song type each and had similar levels of song and syllable stereotypy. However, we did find that female RCCBs had higher song bandwidth but lower syllable repertoires. Finally, and most strikingly, we found highly individualistic songs in RCCBs. Each individual produced a stereotyped and unique song with no birds sharing song types and very few syllable types being shared between birds of either sex. We propose that RCCBs represent a promising species for future investigations of the acoustic sex differences in song in a lab environment, and also for understanding the evolutionary driving forces behind individualistic songs.

Examining Procedural Variations of Delivering Competing Stimuli in the Treatment of Stereotypy.

Competing stimulus assessments (CSA) are effective tools for identifying stimuli that compete with automatically reinforced behavior. However, Jennett et al. suggests there are cases for which non-contingent access to competing stimuli are insufficient at decreasing target responding and additional treatment components may be necessary. The purpose of the current study was to examine procedural variations (i.e., rotating competing items and prompted engagement) when presenting competing stimuli on increasing functional engagement and decreasing stereotypy. Following a functional analysis, a CSA was conducted to identify competing stimuli for four individuals with autism. Items identified were then used with two procedural variations. Levels of stereotypy, functional engagement, and item contact were measured. Results showed that for two participants both treatments were effective, while for the other two participants prompting functional engagement was more effective. Prompting functional engagement is likely a productive strategy for enhancing engagement with competing stimuli for automatically reinforced problem behavior as it may result in functional engagement becoming reinforcing in and of itself.

Effect of mother bonded rearing on growth, health and physiological state of Murrah buffalo calves

We investigated the effect of different types of mother-young contacts (fenceline, restricted and no contact) on the health, growth performance, behaviour and physiological state of Murrah buffalo calves. A total of 24 calves were allocated to three groups of 8: NCM (no calf-mother contact), RCM (restricted calf-mother contact) and FCM (fenceline calf-mother contact). At three months of age, the FCM calves had a higher average body weight (58.6 ± 1.5 kg) than the RCM (52.8 ± 1.3 kg) and NCM (53.6 ± 1.3 kg) calves (P < 0.05). The average daily gain (ADG) at three months of age was greater in FCM (0.6 ± 0.1 kg/d) than RCM (0.5 ± 0.1 kg/d) and NCM (0.5 ± 0.1 kg/d) calves (P < 0.05). The mean immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations were significantly greater on d 7, 28, 42 and d 56 of sampling (P < 0.05 for all comparisons) in FCM than RCM and NCM calves. The mean cortisol levels were highest in the NCM calves followed by RCM and the lowest values were observed in FCM calves on d 0, d 7, d 28, d 42 and d 56, respectively (P < 0.05, for all recorded days). The diarrhoea score and eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) were significantly greater in the NCM group compared to the RCM and FCM groups. The time spent in cross sucking, licking inanimate objects and self-licking was greatest (P < 0.05) in NCM calves, followed by RCM calves, and was almost non-existent in the FCM group on all the recorded weeks. Time spent in backward ear position was greater (P < 0.05) in FCM than RCM and NCM calves. The average time spent in forward ear position was greatest (P < 0.05) in the RCM calves followed by NCM with the lowest time observed in FCM calves. The mean duration of time spent by calves in the asymmetrical and axial ear position differed significantly (P < 0.05) among NCM, RCM and FCM calves, P < 0.05. The full and fenceline buffalo calf-mother contact system showed higher growth rates, lower levels of stress responses, oral stereotypies and eggs per gram of faeces. In addition, ear postures may be used as a dependable, and reliable measure of positive, low arousal emotional states.

The effects of the demand component of motor response interruption and redirection on vocal stereotypy in adults with autism spectrum disorder

AbstractResponse interruption and redirection (RIRD) often results in a reduction in level of vocal stereotypy in children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research is still needed on the effects of RIRD on adults and on the mechanism by which RIRD produces its effects (i.e., punishment vs. differential reinforcement). The current study used an uninterrupted data collection procedure to evaluate the effects of RIRD, and specifically the contingent demand component, in an adult participant. Results showed that motor RIRD was effective in reducing vocal stereotypy when the demand aspect (i.e., redirection) was included but was ineffective when neutral talking (i.e., interruption) was presented. The impact of RIRD on appropriate vocalizations is also discussed.

Combining neural network and sequence analyses to determine animal call repertoires

Classifying frequency modulation patterns in animal signals is a challenging task depending on the level of stereotypy of call types. Not only do graded transitions between types create problems for defining them, but animals also vary single parameters within types without changing the overall shape of a modulation. One example for the latter is the variation in overall duration within call types of delphinids. Deecke et al. (1999) developed an adaptive resonance theory neural network for killer whale calls to standardize classification for dialect comparisons. This was later modified to make it usable for delphinid whistles by Deecke and Janik (2006) and is available as free software under the name ARTWARP. It creates categories by comparing frequency contours while time warping them to allow for variation in overall duration. Average frequency contours of all resulting call types are provided to describe repertoires once classification is complete. ARTWARP has recently been further improved to expand its analysis outputs and speed and can be used for the classification of any animal signals with a tonal component. Tests of ARTWARP in combination with the SIGID sequence analysis for signature whistles (Janik et al., 2013) provides an accurate repertoire of delphinid calls.

Parallel Processing of Olfactory and Mechanosensory Information in the Honey Bee Antennal Lobe.

In insects, neuronal responses to clean air have so far been reported only episodically in moths. Here we present results obtained by fast two-photon calcium imaging in the honey bee Apis mellifera, indicating a substantial involvement of the antennal lobe, the first olfactory neuropil, in the processing of mechanical stimuli. Clean air pulses generate a complex pattern of glomerular activation that provides a code for stimulus intensity and dynamics with a similar level of stereotypy as observed for the olfactory code. Overlapping the air pulses with odor stimuli reveals a superposition of mechanosensory and odor response codes with high contrast. On the mechanosensitive signal, modulations were observed in the same frequency regime as the oscillatory motion of the antennae, suggesting a possible way to detect odorless airflow directions. The transduction of mechanosensory information via the insect antennae has so far been attributed primarily to Johnston’s organ in the pedicel of the antenna. The possibility that the antennal lobe activation by clean air originates from Johnston’s organ could be ruled out, as the signal is suppressed by covering the surfaces of the otherwise freely moving and bending antennae, which should leave Johnston’s organ unaffected. The tuning curves of individual glomeruli indicate increased sensitivity at low-frequency mechanical oscillations as produced by the abdominal motion in waggle dance communication, suggesting a further potential function of this mechanosensory code. The discovery that the olfactory system can sense both odors and mechanical stimuli has recently been made also in mammals. The results presented here give hope that studies on insects can make a fundamental contribution to the cross-taxa understanding of this dual function, as only a few thousand neurons are involved in their brains, all of which are accessible by in vivo optical imaging.

두 가지 다요소 중재가 자폐스펙트럼 장애 고등학생의 음성상동행동과 과제 수행에 미치는 영향*

This study evaluated the effect of two multi-component interventions in reducing vocal stereotypy and increasing task engagement especially in learning situations among children with developmental disabilities. The participant was a 17-year-old high school student with autism spectrum disorder. He had very limited communication skills and a high level of vocal stereotypy that interfered with learning. Based on an alternating treatment design, a multi-component intervention with a redirection prompt using sound and a multi-component intervention with a redirection prompt using activity engagement were conducted by behavioral therapists during learning activities in a hospital-based behavioral therapy room. According to the results of the study, both multi-component interventions were effective not only in reducing vocal stereotypy but also in increasing task performance in learning situations. There was no significant difference between the two multi-component interventions in reducing vocal stereotypy. Based on these results, practical applications of the vocal stereotypy intervention methods were discussed.

Unsupervised Machine Learning for Identifying Challenging Behavior Profiles to Explore Cluster-Based Treatment Efficacy in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Retrospective Data Analysis Study.

BackgroundChallenging behaviors are prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder; however, research exploring the impact of challenging behaviors on treatment response is lacking.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify types of autism spectrum disorder based on engagement in different challenging behaviors and evaluate differences in treatment response between groups.MethodsRetrospective data on challenging behaviors and treatment progress for 854 children with autism spectrum disorder were analyzed. Participants were clustered based on 8 observed challenging behaviors using k means, and multiple linear regression was performed to test interactions between skill mastery and treatment hours, cluster assignment, and gender.ResultsSeven clusters were identified, which demonstrated a single dominant challenging behavior. For some clusters, significant differences in treatment response were found. Specifically, a cluster characterized by low levels of stereotypy was found to have significantly higher levels of skill mastery than clusters characterized by self-injurious behavior and aggression (P<.003).ConclusionsThese findings have implications on the treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Self-injurious behavior and aggression were prevalent among participants with the worst treatment response, thus interventions targeting these challenging behaviors may be worth prioritizing. Furthermore, the use of unsupervised machine learning models to identify types of autism spectrum disorder shows promise.

Examining stereotypy in naturalistic contexts: Differential reinforcement and context-specific redirection.

This study examined stereotypy in naturalistic classroom contexts (i.e., academic programming, leisure skill acquisition) with differential reinforcement of contextually appropriate behavior (DRA). When stereotypy was problematic, redirection to the ongoing activity was provided. Contextually appropriate behavior and stereotypy were measured across all contexts prior to redirecting stereotypy to contextually appropriate behavior. Low levels of stereotypy were observed during the DRA in at least 2 contexts for all 5 participants. Context-specific redirection was added to the DRA if stereotypy persisted, and decreased stereotypy in 9 of the 10 evaluations. The results suggest that stereotypy might not be problematic in all contexts when DRA is present and redirection to contextually relevant appropriate behavior is an effective strategy.

Atypical Head Movement during Face-to-Face Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The present study implemented an objective head pose tracking technique-OpenFace 2.0 to quantify the three dimensional head movement. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typical development (TD) were engaged in a structured conversation with an interlocutress while wearing an eye tracker. We computed the head movement stereotypy with multiscale entropy analysis. In addition, the head rotation range (RR) and the amount of rotation per minute (ARPM) were calculated to quantify the extent of head movement. Results demonstrated that the ASD group had significantly higher level of movement stereotypy, RR and ARPM in all the three directions of head movement. Further analyses revealed that the extent of head movement could be significantly explained by movement stereotypy, but not by the amount of visual fixation to the interlocutress. These results demonstrated the atypical head movement dynamics in children with ASD during live interaction. It is proposed that head movement might potentially provide novel objective biomarkers of ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Our study used an objective tool to quantify head movement in children with autism. Results showed that children with autism had more stereotyped and greater head movement. We suggest that head movement tracking technique be widely used in autism research.

Practical considerations for using noncontingent reinforcement with matched stimulation or response interruption and redirection in school

Q What are the effects of noncontingent reinforcement with matched stimulation (NCR-M) compared to response interruption redirection (RIRD) on reducing levels of vocal stereotypy in adolescents wit...

Examination of Stimulus Over-Selectivity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Relationship to Stereotyped Behaviors and Cognitive Flexibility

Stimulus over-selectivity describes a phenomenon in which an individual responds only to a subset of the stimuli present in the environment and, thus, may restrict learning. This study aimed to develop understanding of the nature and role of over-selectivity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by analyzing the relationship of over-selectivity to core deficits of ASD: stereotyped responding and inflexibility. Over-selectivity was investigated in a visual discrimination task in 24 children, 12 diagnosed with ASD and 12 mental-age-matched typically developing children. In addition, the participants’ levels of intellectual functioning, stereotypy, and cognitive flexibility were assessed using established tools. Results showed that over-selectivity was associated with IQ and stereotyped behavior but was not related to levels of cognitive flexibility nor did cognitive flexibility significantly correlate with stereotyped behavior in individuals with ASD. The current findings require consideration when designing behavioral interventions for individuals with ASD.

Adaptive Choice Biases in Mice and Humans.

The contribution of non-sensory information processing to perceptual decision making is not fully understood. Choice biases have been described for mice and humans and are highly prevalent even if they decrease rewarding outcomes. Choice biases are usually reduced by discriminability because stimulus strength directly enables the adjustments in the decision strategies used by decision-makers. However, choice biases could also derive from functional asymmetries in sensory processing, decision making, or both. Here, we tested how particular experimental contingencies influenced the production of choice biases in mice and humans. Our main goal was to establish the tasks and methods to jointly characterize psychometric performance and innate side-choice behavior in mice and humans. We implemented forced and un-forced visual tasks and found that both species displayed stable levels of side-choice biases, forming continuous distributions from low to high levels of choice stereotypy. Interestingly, stimulus discriminability reduced the side-choice biases in forced-choice, but not in free-choice tasks. Choice biases were stable in appearance and intensity across experimental days and could be employed to identify mice and human participants. Additionally, side- and alternating choices could be reinforced for both mice and humans, implying that choice biases were adaptable to non-visual manipulations. Our results highlight the fact that internal and external elements can influence the production of choice biases. Adaptations of our tasks could become a helpful diagnostic tool to detect aberrant levels of choice variability.

The Effects of Different Feeding Routines on Welfare in Laboratory Mice.

The accepted norm in most laboratories around the globe is feeding laboratory mice an ad libitum diet, although several health impairments are well-established. In contrast, reducing the animals' body weight by feeding them less food once per day (referred to as 24 h schedule) has been shown to enhance life span and reduce disease susceptibility. Against this background, this study aimed at systematically investigating the effects of different feeding routines. Therefore, three feeding routines were compared to the standard ad libitum feeding and effects on body weight development and welfare were investigated in male C57BL/6J mice. In particular, a 24 h schedule group, an AUTO group, characterized by an automated supply of small pieces of food all over the day, and a 4 h removal group, characterized by daily removal of food for 4 h, were studied. While the removal of food for 4 h per day did not lead to a reduction of body weight, and hence is unlikely to prevent negative effects of overfeeding, both the 24 h schedule group and the AUTO group led to the aspired body weight reduction. In the AUTO group, however, higher levels of corticosterone metabolites and stereotypies were observed, implying a rather negative impact on welfare. By contrast, no distinct negative effects of a 24 h schedule were found. Studies like this underline the general need for evidence-based severity assessments of any procedure involving living animals.

An evaluation of the effects of response interruption redirection and matched stimulation on vocal stereotypy

Stereotypy is one of the core diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder and warrants behavioral intervention when it negatively impacts the person's life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of noncontingent matched stimulation (NCR‐M) compared with response interruption redirection (RIRD) on reducing levels of vocal stereotypy in the natural environment. Interventions were compared using an alternating treatments design followed by generalization and maintenance phases, which utilized lay people as instructors. Results showed that both RIRD and NCR‐M resulted in a reduction in vocal stereotypy for three out of four participants within an educational setting. An increase in appropriate vocalizations was found for two out of four participants for both interventions. These results suggest that both NCR‐M and RIRD were effective in reducing levels of vocal stereotypy, yet their effects on appropriate communication remain undetermined. Social validity scores were obtained following the study, which demonstrated that both interventions were met with approval across a variety of measures.

Brief Report: Evaluating College Students' Perceptions of a Child Displaying Stereotypic Behaviors: Do Changes in Stereotypy Levels Affect Ratings?

One reason for treating stereotypic behavior is that it may negatively impact how others perceive the individual displaying the behavior, thus impeding social interactions; however, few studies have directly evaluated this possibility. As a first step toward testing this position, participants (college students) in Study 1 watched 5-min video clips of a child engaging in hand/finger motor stereotypy at varying levels (0%, 17%, 37%, and 40% of the time) while sound was muted. Following each video, participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate their perception of the child. In Study 2, additional participants completed the same questionnaire after watching the same videos with the sound unmuted to determine if the addition of vocal stereotypy altered their perceptions of the child. Results indicate that (a) observers negatively rated the child when he displayed motor stereotypy for 17% or more of a video clip and (b) the addition of vocal stereotypy yielded more negative judgements than motor stereotypy alone.

Blue Light Covers Increase Stereotypy and Decrease On-Task Behavior for Students with Autism.

Some recommended strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not empirically based. The purpose of the study was to evaluate effects of blue light covers on levels of stereotypy and on-task behavior. Four male children with ASD who engaged in repetitive behavior participated. Placing light covers over the classroom's fluorescent lights relative to normal classroom lighting did not improve on-task behavior or stereotypy.

Being versus appearing socially uninterested: Challenging assumptions about social motivation in autism.

Progress in psychological science can be limited by a number of factors, not least of which are the starting assumptions of scientists themselves. We believe that some influential accounts of autism rest on a questionable assumption that many of its behavioral characteristics indicate a lack of social interest - an assumption that is flatly contradicted by the testimony of many autistic people themselves. In this article, we challenge this assumption by describing alternative explanations for four such behaviors: (a) low levels of eye contact, (b) infrequent pointing, (c) motor stereotypies, and (d) echolalia. The assumption that autistic people's unusual behaviors indicate diminished social motivation has had profound and often negative effects on the ways they are studied and treated. We argue that understanding and supporting autistic individuals will require interrogating this assumption, taking autistic testimony seriously, considering alternative explanations for unusual behaviors, and investigating unconventional - even idiosyncratic - ways in which autistic individuals may express their social interest. These steps are crucial, we believe, for creating a more accurate, humane, and useful science of autism.