• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.77-90
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• 2018

Behavioral studies of emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have yielded mixed results. Most of the studies focused on emotion recognition abilities with regard to ASD using stimuli with unisensory modality, making it difficult to determine difficulties in real life emotion perception in ASD. Herein, we review the recent behavioral and cognitive neuroscience studies on emotion recognition functions in ASD, including both unisensory and multisensory emotional information, to elucidate the possible difficulties in emotion recognition in ASD. In our study, we discovered that people with ASD have problems in the process of integrating emotional information during emotion recognition tasks. The following four points are discussed: (1) The restrictions of previous studies, (2) deficits in emotion recognition in ASD especially in recognizing multisensory information, (3) possible compensation mechanisms for emotion recognition in ASD, and (4) the possible roles of attention and language functions in emotion recognition in ASD. The compensatory mechanisms proposed herein for ASD with regard to emotion recognition abilities could contribute to a therapeutic approach for improving emotion recognition functions in ASD.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2015

Objectives : Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors are core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of our study was to investigate the frequency of motor stereotypes in ASD children and their clinical features. Methods : Among 171 ASD children (age range, 3-15), the ASD group with motor stereotypes was defined according to two items in the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R). We compared the clinical features, behavior problems and severity of other domains in the K-ADI-R and executive functions between the ASD group with motor stereotypes and the ASD group without motor stereotypes. Results : Ninety (52.6%) of 171 ASD children had motor stereotypes. The ASD group with motor stereotypes had a lower intelligence quotient score (62.23 vs. 84.94, p<.001) compared to the ASD group without motor stereotypes. The ASD group with motor stereotypes had more impairments in the social interaction domain [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.11, p=.001] and communication domain (AOR 1.15, p=.008). Thought problems and lethargy were more frequent in the ASD group with motor stereotypes than the ASD group without motor stereotypes (AOR 2.059, p=.034 ; adjusted OR 1.045, p=.046). However, no significant differences in executive function were observed between the ASD group with motor stereotypes and the ASD group without motor stereotypes. Conclusion : The ASD group with motor stereotypes showed more impairment in social interaction and communication domains, which are core symptoms of autism. Motor stereotypes may indicate greater severity of ASD.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.11
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• pp.405-409
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• 2019

A structured review study of drug interventions on sleep disorders in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has not been published to date. This systematic review aimed to investigate drug interventions for the treatment of sleep disorders in children with ASD. The Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched until March 2019. Study quality was assessed using the Delphi checklist. Due to the heterogeneity of the findings, a meta-analysis was not possible. Drug interventions for the treatment of sleep disorders in patients with ASD included melatonin, atomoxetine, and risperidone. Atomoxetine had no effect on sleep disorders in patients with ASD. A total of 10 studies were reviewed. Melatonin appears to be useful for the treatment of sleep problems in patients with ASD, but further studies are needed to determine the effects of other drugs.

• Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2018

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental syndrome with an increasingly prevalent etiology, yet not fully understood. It has been thought that vitamin D, complex B vitamin levels and homocysteine are associated with environmental factors and are important in ASD. The aim of this study was to examine serum vitamin D, vitamin D receptor (VDR), homocysteine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate levels in ASD. Methods: In this study, serum vitamin D and VDR, homocysteine, vitamins B6, B12 and folate levels were determined in 60 patients with ASD (aged 3 to 12 years) and in 45 age-gender matched healthy controls. In addition, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase, which are associated with vitamin D metabolism, were measured from serum in both groups. ASD severity was evaluted by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Results: Serum vitamin D and VDR were substantially reduced in patients with ASD in comparision to control group. However, homocysteine level was significantly higher and vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate were also reduced in patients with ASD. Total CARS score showed a positive association with homocysteine and a negative correlation with vitamins D,B6, B12, folate and VDR. Conclusion: This comprehensive study, which examines many parameters has shown that low serum levels of vitamins D, B6, B12, folate and VDR as well as high homocysteine are important in the etiopathogenesis of ASD. However, further studies are required to define the precise mechanism(s) of these parameters and their contributions to the etiology and treatment of ASD.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.613-623
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• 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder associated with cognitive and neurobehavioral disorders. It affects the person's behavior and performance. Autism affects verbal and non-verbal communication in social interactions. Early screening and diagnosis of ASD are essential and helpful for early educational planning and treatment, the provision of family support, and for providing appropriate medical support for the child on time. Thus, developing automated methods for diagnosing ASD is becoming an essential need. Herein, we investigate using various machine learning methods to build predictive models for diagnosing ASD in children using facial images. To achieve this, we used an autistic children dataset containing 2936 facial images of children with autism and typical children. In application, we used classical machine learning methods, such as support vector machine and random forest. In addition to using deep-learning methods, we used a state-of-the-art method, that is, automated machine learning (AutoML). We compared the results obtained from the existing techniques. Consequently, we obtained that AutoML achieved the highest performance of approximately 96% accuracy via the Hyperpot and tree-based pipeline optimization tool optimization. Furthermore, AutoML methods enabled us to easily find the best parameter settings without any human efforts for feature engineering.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2022

Purpose: There is inconsistent evidence about the association between fetal nuchal cord and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We performed a meta-analysis to investigate whether fetal nuchal cord is associated with an increased risk of ASD in offspring. Methods: Three main English databases were searched until January 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. Study heterogeneity was determined using the I 2 statistic, while publication bias was assessed using Begg and Egger tests. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) and relative ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and were determined by a random-effects model. Results: Five articles (1 cohort, 4 case-control; 3,088 total children) were included in the present meta-analysis. Fetal nuchal cord was not a risk factor for ASD (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.66-1.57). There was homogeneity among studies that reported a risk of ASD (I²=0.0%). Conclusion: Our results showed that fetal nuchal cord is not a risk factor for ASD. Future large cohort studies should confirm this finding.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2020

Autism spectrum disorder is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with an unknown etiology. The correlation between neonatal jaundice and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder was investigated previously. Some studies showed significant associations, whereas others demonstrated no association. In this meta-analysis, we pooled the results of observational studies to examine the association between neonatal jaundice and the risk of autism spectrum disorder among children. We identified all studies published through April 2018 by conducting a literature search using Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases as well as the reference lists of the retrieved studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs), rate ratio (RR), and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as random effect estimates of association among studies. We conducted a subgroup analysis to explore any potential sources of intergroup heterogeneity. The pooled estimates of OR and RR showed a considerable correlation between neonatal jaundice and ASD among children (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02-1.68) and (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.74). A larger effect size was shown in the pooled estimated crude OR than in the adjusted OR (1.75 [0.96-2.54] vs. 1.19 [1.07-1.30]). This study showed that neonatal jaundice may be associated with ASD and may increase the risk of ASD among children.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.424-433
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• 2019

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental monogenic disorder with a strong genetic influence. Idiopathic autism could be defined as a type of autism that does not have a specific causative agent. Among signalling cascades, mTOR signalling pathway plays a pivotal role not only in cell cycle, but also in protein synthesis and regulation of brain homeostasis in ASD patients. The present review highlights, underlying mechanism of mTOR and its role in altered signalling cascades as a triggering factor in the onset of idiopathic autism. Further, this review discusses how distorted mTOR signalling pathway stimulates truncated translation in neuronal cells and leads to downregulation of protein synthesis at dendritic spines of the brain. This review concludes by suggesting downstream regulators such as p70S6K, eIF4B, eIF4E of mTOR signalling pathway as promising therapeutic targets for idiopathic autistic individuals.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.40-50
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• 2023

Objectives: This study examined the validity of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2) compared with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) in identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A total of 237 children were tested using both the CARS-2 and ADOS-2. We examined the correlation using Pearson's correlation analysis. In addition, we used a receiver operating characteristic graph to determine the optimal standard version of the CARS-2 (CARS2-ST) cutoff score for ASD diagnosis using the ADOS-2. Results: The concurrent validity of the CARS2-ST was demonstrated by a significant correlation with the ADOS-2 (r=0.864, p<0.001). The optimal CARS2-ST cutoff scores were 30 and 28.5 for identifying autism and autism spectrum, respectively, based on the ADOS-2. Conclusion: We suggest a newly derived CARS2-ST cutoff score of 28.5 for screening ASD and providing early intervention.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.141-148
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• 2011

Pbjective : A significant proportion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have regression characterized by loss of previously acquired skills. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic, clinical characteristics and autism-related symptomatology of the children who have regression with children who don't have regression. Methods : The subjects with ASD and their unaffected siblings (SIB) were recruited from the Korean Autism Genetic Study Consortium. Typically developing children (TC) were volunteered from community. The subjects were administered the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R) and the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (K-ADOS) to diagnose or exclude ASD. Regression was defined on the basis of K-ADI-R data. The Korean version of Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (K-VABS), Aberrant Behavior Checklist (K-ABC) and Social Responsiveness Scale (K-SRS) were obtained from their parents. Results : Regression occurred in 8.33% (n=14) of children with ASD (n=168). Any SIB (n=166) and TC (n=53) did not experience regression. Regression was associated with lower IQ and lower score of K-VABS. There was no difference in autism symptom severity and K-ABC, K-SRS scores, between children with ASD who experienced regression and who did not. Conclusion : Regression seems to be a distinctive feature of ASD. Regression is associated with cognitive and more general functions, rather than symptoms specific to autism.