Superior temporal sulcus folding, functional network connectivity, and autistic-like traits in a non-clinical population.

Background: Autistic-like traits (ALT) are prevalent across the general population and might be linked to some facets of a broader autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype. Recent studies suggest an association of these traits with both genetic and brain structural markers in non-autistic individuals, showing similar spatial location of findings observed in ASD and thus suggesting a potential neurobiological continuum.

Methods: In this study, we first tested an association of ALTs (assessed with the AQ questionnaire) with cortical complexity, a cortical surface marker of early neurodevelopment, and then the association with disrupted functional connectivity.

[Pathological Demand Avoidance: Current State of Research and Critical Discussion].

Pathological Demand Avoidance: Current State of Research and Critical Discussion Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) describes children who obsessively avoid any demand to a clinically relevant extent and is presently the subject of controversial discussion. Their behavior may be interpreted as an attempt to reduce anxiety by establishing security and predictability through rigid control of the environment as well as the demands and expectations of others. The symptoms are described in the context of autism spectrum disorder.

A data driven machine learning approach to differentiate between autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder based on the best-practice diagnostic instruments for autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two frequently co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions that share certain symptomatology, including social difficulties. This presents practitioners with challenging (differential) diagnostic considerations, particularly in clinically more complex cases with co-occurring ASD and ADHD. Therefore, the primary aim of the current study was to apply a data-driven machine learning approach (support vector machine) to determine whether and which items from the best-practice clinical instruments for diagnosing ASD (ADOS, ADI-R) would best differentiate between four groups of individuals referred to specialized ASD clinics (i.

Assessment of Reward-Related Brain Function After a Single Dose of Oxytocin in Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction, which have been related to atypical neural processing of rewards, especially in the social domain. As intranasal oxytocin has been shown to modulate activation of the brain's reward circuit, oxytocin might ameliorate the processing of social rewards in ASD and thus improve social difficulties.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined effects of a 24-IU dose of intranasal oxytocin on reward-related brain function in 37 men with ASD without intellectual impairment and 37 age- and IQ-matched control participants.

Conceptualization of the latent structure of autism: further evidence and discussion of dimensional and hybrid models.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be conceptualized as an essentially dimensional, categorical, or hybrid model. Yet, current empirical studies are inconclusive and the latent structure of ASD has explicitly been examined only in a few studies. The aim of our study was to identify and discuss the latent model structure of behavioral symptoms related to ASD and to address the question of whether categories and/or dimensions best represent ASD symptoms.

Mapping Research Domain Criteria using a transdiagnostic mini-RDoC assessment in mental disorders: a confirmatory factor analysis.

This study aimed to build on the relationship of well-established self-report and behavioral assessments to the latent constructs positive (PVS) and negative valence systems (NVS), cognitive systems (CS), and social processes (SP) of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework in a large transnosological population which cuts across DSM/ICD-10 disorder criteria categories. One thousand four hundred and thirty one participants (42.1% suffering from anxiety/fear-related, 18.

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

Background: Diagnostic assessment of ASD requires substantial clinical experience and is particularly difficult in the context of other disorders with behavioral symptoms in the domain of social interaction and communication. Observation measures such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) do not take into account such co-occurring disorders.

Method: We used a well-characterized clinical sample of individuals (n = 1,251) that had received detailed outpatient evaluation for the presence of an ASD diagnosis (n = 481) and covered a range of additional overlapping diagnoses, including anxiety-related disorders (ANX, n = 122), ADHD (n = 439), and conduct disorder (CD, n = 194).

Corrigendum: Abilities and Disabilities-Applying Machine Learning to Disentangle the Role of Intelligence in Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and IQ - A Complex Interplay.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized as a very heterogeneous child-onset disorder, whose heterogeneity is partly determined by differences in intelligence quotient (IQ). Older epidemiological studies suggested that the IQ-related spectrum tends to be skewed to the left, i.e.

Subdimensions of social-communication behavior in autism-A replication study.

Introduction: In order to identify more refined dimensions of social-communication impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a previous study applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to diagnostic algorithm scores of the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), Module 3. A three-factor model consisting of repetitive behaviors, impairments in 'Basic Social-Communication' and in 'Interaction quality' (IQ) was established and confirmed. The current study aimed to replicate this model in an independent sample.

Abilities and Disabilities-Applying Machine Learning to Disentangle the Role of Intelligence in Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Objective: Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a relatively common, well-known but heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder, specific knowledge about characteristics of this heterogeneity is scarce. There is consensus that IQ contributes to this heterogeneity as well as complicates diagnostics and treatment planning. In this study, we assessed the accuracy of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS/2) in the whole and IQ-defined subsamples, and analyzed if the ADOS/2 accuracy may be increased by the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms that processed additional information including the IQ level.

Phenotypic differences between female and male individuals with suspicion of autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common developmental disorder, our knowledge about a behavioral and neurobiological female phenotype is still scarce. As the conceptualization and understanding of ASD are mainly based on the investigation of male individuals, females with ASD may not be adequately identified by routine clinical diagnostics. The present machine learning approach aimed to identify diagnostic information from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) that discriminates best between ASD and non-ASD in females and males.

Social and Nonsocial Autism Symptom Domains in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Insights into Their Symptomatological Interplay.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share overlapping symptomatology, particularly with regard to social impairments (including peer relationship difficulties), and they frequently co-occur. However, the nature of their co-occurrence remains unclear. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the nature of the transdiagnostic link between ASD and ADHD from a symptomatological point of view measured with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS Module 3) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R).

Is the Combination of ADOS and ADI-R Necessary to Classify ASD? Rethinking the "Gold Standard" in Diagnosing ASD.

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires extensive clinical expertise and training as well as a focus on differential diagnoses. The diagnostic process is particularly complex given symptom overlap with other mental disorders and high rates of co-occurring physical and mental health concerns. The aim of this study was to conduct a data-driven selection of the most relevant diagnostic information collected from a behavior observation and an anamnestic interview in two clinical samples of children/younger adolescents and adolescents/adults with suspected ASD.

Differentiation of autism spectrum disorder and mood or anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders overlap with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, making the diagnostic process challenging. This study found that a combination of communicational deficits and unusual and/or inappropriate social overtures facilitates differentiation between autism spectrum disorder and mood and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, the results confirm the essential need of a behavioral observation with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule in combination with a full Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised to support diagnostic decisions.

Randomized clinical trial shows no substantial modulation of empathy-related neural activation by intranasal oxytocin in autism.

Evidence suggests that intranasal application of oxytocin facilitates empathy and modulates its underlying neural processes, which are often impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Oxytocin has therefore been considered a promising candidate for the treatment of social difficulties in ASD. However, evidence linking oxytocin treatment to social behavior and brain function in ASD is limited and heterogeneous effects might depend on variations in the oxytocin-receptor gene (OXTR).

Identification of the most indicative and discriminative features from diagnostic instruments for children with autism.

Background: Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex and time-consuming. The present work systematically examines the importance of items from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in discerning children with and without ASD. Knowledge of the most discriminative features and their underlying concepts may prove valuable for the future training tools that assist clinicians to substantiate or extenuate a suspicion of ASD in nonverbal and minimally verbal children.

How Do Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Participate in the Labor Market? A German Multi-center Survey.

International studies show disadvantages for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the labor market. Data about their participation in the German labor market are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the integration of adults with ASD in the German labor market in terms of education, employment and type of occupation by means of a cross-sectional-study, using a postal questionnaire.

Health Services Use and Costs in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Germany: Results from a Survey in ASD Outpatient Clinics.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with high services use, but European data on costs are scarce. Utilisation and annual costs of 385 individuals with ASD (aged 4-67 years; 18.2% females; 37.

Special educational support in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Germany: Results from a parent survey.

Objective: Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often receive special educational support (SES). This study aimed to evaluate SES prevalence in children and adolescents with ASD in Germany.

Methods: A mail survey was distributed to the caregivers of 637 children and adolescents recruited at three German ASD outpatient clinics.

[Autism spectrum disorder in childhood and adults: diagnosis and differential diagnoses].

Autistic disorders are summarized in DSM‑5 under the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are severe, lifelong, pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders. Core features manifested even in childhood are impairments in social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behavior. The intensity of symptoms, language and cognitive impairments vary but the majority of affected individuals have below average intelligence and 80% have at least one comorbid disorder.

Identifying predictive features of autism spectrum disorders in a clinical sample of adolescents and adults using machine learning.

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complicated, time-consuming process which is particularly challenging in older individuals. One of the most widely used behavioral diagnostic tools is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Previous work using machine learning techniques suggested that ASD detection in children can be achieved with substantially fewer items than the original ADOS.

[Blessing or curse? The World Wide Web as information source for autism and Asperger Syndrome].

The World Wide Web is today one of the most common methods used for obtaining health-related information, though the quality of the information is sometimes questionable. The present study addresses the quality of the information source internet and the resulting implications and discusses examples related to autism spectrum disorder. We systematically evaluated 96 German websites, with the aim of estimating specific characteristic features, reliability of publications, presentation of information as well as overall website quality.