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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with difficulty in processing speech in a noisy background, but the neural mechanisms that underlie this deficit have not been mapped. To address this question, we used magnetoencephalography to compare the cortical responses between ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals to a passive mismatch paradigm. We repeated the paradigm twice, once in a quiet background, and once in the presence of background noise. We focused on both the evoked mismatch field (MMF) response in temporal and frontal cortical locations, and functional connectivity with spectral specificity between those locations. In the quiet condition, we found common neural sources of the MMF response in both groups, in the right temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In the noise condition, the MMF response in the right IFG was preserved in the TD group, but reduced relative to the quiet condition in ASD group. The MMF response in the right IFG also correlated with severity of ASD. Moreover, in noise, we found significantly reduced normalized coherence (deviant normalized by standard) in ASD relative to TD, in the beta band (14-25 Hz), between left temporal and left inferior frontal subregions. However, unnormalized coherence (coherence during deviant or standard) was significantly increased in ASD relative to TD, in multiple frequency bands. Our findings suggest increased recruitment of neural resources in ASD irrespective of the task difficulty, alongside a reduction in top-down modulations, usually mediated by the beta band, needed to mitigate the impact of noise on auditory processing. Database: Medline The development of autism spectrum disorders: variability and causal complexity. Author(s): Wozniak, Robert H; Leezenbaum, Nina B; Northrup, Jessie B; West, Kelsey L; Iverson, Jana M Source: Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science; Dec 2016 Abstract: The autism spectrum is highly variable, both behaviorally and neurodevelopmentally. Broadly speaking, four related factors contribute to this variability: (1) genetic processes, (2) environmental events, (3) gene × environment interactions, and (4) developmental factors. Given the complexity of the relevant processes, it appears unlikely that autism spectrum atypicalities can be attributed to any one causal mechanism. Rather, the development of neural atypicality reflects an interaction of genetic and environmental risk factors. As the individual grows, changes in neural atypicality, consequent variation in behavior, and environmental response to that behavior may become linked in a positive feedback loop that amplifies deviations from the typical developmental pattern. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Database: Medline Ethiopia: educating everyone about autism. Author(s): Burton, Adrian Source: The Lancet. Neurology; Dec 2016; vol. 15 (no. 13); p. 1307-1308 Database: Medline Epidemiology of autism in adults across age groups and ability levels. Author(s): Brugha, Traolach S; Spiers, Nicola; Bankart, John; Cooper, Sally-Ann; McManus, Sally; Scott, Fiona J; Smith, Jane; Tyrer, Freya Source: The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science; Dec 2016; vol. 209 (no. 6); p. 498-503 Available in full text at British Journal of Psychiatry from EBSCOhost Available in print at Education Centre Library Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust from British Journal of Psychiatry Abstract: The epidemiology of autism in adults has relied on untested projections using childhood research. To derive representative estimates of the prevalence of autism and key associations in adults of all ages and ability levels. Comparable clinical diagnostic assessments of 7274 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey participants combined with a population case-register survey of 290 adults with intellectual disability. The combined prevalence of autism in adults of all ages in England was 11/1000 (95% CI 3-19/1000). It was higher in those with moderate to profound intellectual disability (odds ratio (OR) = 63.5, 95% CI 27.4-147.2). Male gender was a strong predictor of autism only in those with no or mild intellectual disability (adjusted OR = 8.5, 95% CI 2.0-34.9; interaction with gender, P = 0.03). Few adults with autism have intellectual disability; however, autism is more prevalent in this population. Autism measures may miss more women with autism. Database: Medline Behavioral Challenges in Children With Autism and Other Special Needs: The Developmental Approachby