Autistic Disorder ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immune System ; physiopathology

Mirror neuron system (MNS) represents one of the most important discoveries of cognitive neuroscience in the past decade, and it has been found to involve in multiple aspects of brain functions including action understanding, imitation, language understanding, empathy, action prediction and speech evolution. This manuscript reviewed the function of MNS in action understanding as well as language evolution, and specifically assessed its roles as the bridge from body language to fluent speeches. Then we discussed the speech defects of autism patients due to the disruption of MNS. Finally, given that MNS is plastic in adult brain, we proposed MNS targeted therapy provides an efficient rehabilitation approach for brain damages conditions as well as autism patients.
Autistic Disorder ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiology ; Humans ; Language ; Motor Neurons ; physiology ; Psychomotor Performance ; physiology ; Visual Perception ; physiology

In addition to aberrant features in the speech, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may present unusual responses to sensory stimuli, especially to auditory stimuli. We investigated the auditory ability of children with ASD by using Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) as they can directly judge both hearing status and the integrity of auditory brainstem pathways. One hundred twenty-one children (71: ASD; M 58/ F 13, mean age; 41.8 months, 50: control group; M 41/ F 9, mean age; 38 months) were induded in the study. As compared with the values in the control group, the latency of wave V, wave I-V, and wave III-V inter-peak latencies were significantly prolonged (p<0.05) in the ASD group. The findings indicate that children with ASD have a dysfunction or immaturity of the central auditory nervous system. We suggest any children with prolonged III-V inter-peak latencies, especially high functioning children should be further evaluated for central auditory processing to set up a more appropriate treatment plan.
Analysis of Variance ; Auditory Pathways/physiopathology ; Autistic Disorder/*physiopathology ; Child, Preschool ; Electrophysiology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem/*physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, along with repetitive and restrictive patterns of behaviors or interests. Normal brain development is crucial to behavior and cognition in adulthood. Abnormal brain development, such as synaptic and myelin dysfunction, is involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are important in regulating the processes of brain development, including neuron production and synaptic formation, as well as myelination. Increasing evidence suggests that the level of MAPs are changed in autistic patients and mouse models of ASD. Here, we discuss the roles of MAPs.
Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Autistic Disorder ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Social Behavior

Neuroligins (NLs) are postsynaptic membrane proteins expressed in the brain and mediate synaptogenesis. Neuroligin family proteins can specifically induce either excitatory or inhibitory synapses. Deletions or point mutations in neuroligin genes are found in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or mental retardations. The dysfunctions of these mutations have been tested in multiple neuroligin mouse models. In most of the models, including the human autism-linked NL3 and NL4 mutation mice, there are social interaction defects, memory impairment and repetitive behaviors. Researchers also found the excitatory/inhibitory synapse ratio altered in those mice, as well as receptor subunit composition. However, inconsistencies and debates also exist between different research approaches. In this review, we summarize the neuroligin mouse models currently available, examine the detailed alterations detected in those mice and compare the differences within different mouse models or different investigation methods, to obtain an overall picture of the current progress on neuroligin mouse models.
Animals ; Autistic Disorder ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal ; physiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Mice ; Mutation ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; physiology ; Synapses ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo present a model for autism showing that impairment of sensory and self-regulation is the core deficit that underlies delays in social/language skills and abnormal behavior in autism; and to demonstrate the efficacy of a treatment for autism based on Chinese medicine.

METHODSChildren with autism under 6 years of age were assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. A total of 130 children were treated and the results compared with 45 wait-list controls. Treatment is a tuina methodology directed at sensory impairment--Kai Qiao Tuina. The treatment was a five-month protocol that was implemented daily by trained parents via trained support staff. The effects of treatment on the main symptoms, autistic behavior, social/language delay, sensory and self-regulatory impairment, as well as on parenting stress, were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe treatment had a large effect size (P<0.0001) on measures of sensory and self-regulation. The evaluations done by pre-school teachers demonstrated improvement in the measures of autism (P<0.003), and were confirmed by evaluations done by parents (P<0.0001). There was a large decrease (P<0.0001) in parenting stress.

CONCLUSIONSSensory and self-regulatory impairment is a main factor in the development and severity of autism. Treatment of young children with autism with Kai Qiao Tuina resulted in a decrease in sensory and self-regulatory impairment and a reduction in severity of measures of autism.

Autistic Disorder ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Models, Biological ; Parents ; psychology ; Sensation ; physiology ; Stress, Psychological ; Treatment Outcome ; Vagus Nerve ; physiopathology

Autistic Disorder ; complications ; psychology ; Child ; Child Development ; Communication ; Down Syndrome ; complications ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Male ; Play and Playthings ; Singapore ; Social Behavior ; Stress, Psychological ; psychology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture (EA) in the treatment of childhood autism (CA) and evaluate its effectiveness using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

METHODSA total of 55 CA patients (4.52±2.73 years) were enrolled in this study. All patients received EA treatments and were examined by SPECT before and after treatments.

RESULTSFollowing treatment, the intracerebral multiple focal radioactivity distribution defect areas of CA patients were observed to be partially filled. Specifically, significant differences in the ratios of regional cerebral blood flow and global cerebral blood flow before (Fb) and after (Fe) EA treatment in different lesions were observed (in the left prefrontal cortex, t=5.01, P<0.01; in the right prefrontal cortex, t=2.32, P<0.05; in the left temporal lobe, t=4.54, P<0.01; in the right temporal lobe, t=2.90, P<0.05; in the left Broca's area, t=5.82, P<0.01). After EA treatment, the patients exhibited symptomatic relief.

CONCLUSIONEA is useful to treat CA and SPECT can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment.

Autistic Disorder ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Brain ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Child ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; methods ; Treatment Outcome