Analysis of synaptic plasticity together with behavioral and molecular studies have become a popular approach to model autism spectrum disorders in order to gain insight into the pathosphysiological mechanisms and to find therapeutic targets. Abnormalities of specific types of synaptic plasticity have been revealed in numerous genetically modified mice that have molecular construct validity to ...

Mentalising is assumed to be involved in decision-making that is necessary to social interaction. We investigated the relationship between mentalising and two types of strategic games those involving the choice to cooperate with another for joint gain or compete for own gain and those involving bargaining and division of a surplus in children and adults with and without autistic spectrum disord...

The study was designed to investigate the discriminant validity of the Motor Behavior Checklist (MBC) for distinguishing four group of children independently classified with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD; N=22), Conduct Disorder (CD; N=17), Learning Disabilities (LD; N=24) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD; N=20). Physical education teachers used the MBC for children to rat...

New insights into biological factors that underlie autism may be gained by comparing autism to other neurodevelopmental disorders that have autistic features and relatively well-delineated genetic etiologies or neurobiological findings. This review moves beyond global diagnoses of autism and instead uses an endophenotypic approach to compare specific clusters of autistic symptomatology to featu...

Autism is increasingly viewed as an expression of an unidentified neurological disorder. Because understanding of neurological dysfunction is basic to evaluation and treatment in occupational therapy, this article provides a comprehensive and critical review of the literature since 1985 concerning the neuropsychology of autistic disorder. The research is categorized into four basic types: (a) n...

First described by Kanner (1943), autism is a behavioral syndrome, present from early life and defined by deficient social interaction, language and communication difficulties, and bizarre restricted or repetitive behavior patterns. At one time thought by some to be psychodynamically determined, it is now clear that the majority of autistic behaviors represent an observable manifestation of phy...

Multiple studies now demonstrate that autism is medically characterized, in part, by immune system dysregulation, including evidence of neuroglial activation and gastrointestinal inflammation. This neuroglial process has further been characterized as neuroinflammation. In addition, a subset of autistic children exhibit higher than average levels of androgens. Spironolactone is an aldosterone an...

First described by Kanner (1943), autism is a behavioral syndrome, present from early life and defined by deficient social interaction, language and communication difficulties, and bizarre restricted or repetitive behavior patterns. At one time thought by some to be psychodynamically determined, it is now clear that the majority of autistic behaviors represent an observable manifestation of phy...

Dysregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway could contribute to the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders. In this study, phosphorylated Akt concentration was measured in 37 autistic children and 12, gender and age similar neurotypical, controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Akt levels were compared to biomarkers known to be associated with epide...

Designing robot-based treatments for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a growing research field. This paper presents an artificial intelligence system based on a robot-assisted treatment of autism. The robot acts as a social mediator, trying to elicit specific behaviors in autistic children. A first preliminary evaluation of the system has been performed involving 3 high functio...