Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Cognitive correlates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents with high intellectual ability
ConclusionsOur findings indicate the cognitive profile of ADHD is similar in highly versus average intelligent individuals with ADHD, although ADHD-related cognitive deficits may be easily overlooked in the high intelligence population when compared to the typical (i.e., average intelligent) control group. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - February 9, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Quantitative trait variation in ASD probands and toddler sibling outcomes at 24  months
ConclusionsProband ASD symptomology, indexed by the SCQ, is a predictor of familial ASD recurrence risk. While quantitative variation in social communication and restricted and repetitive behavior were not associated among sibling pairs, standardized ratings of proband language and communication explained significant variation in the same domains in the sibling at 24  months, especially among toddlers with an ASD diagnosis. These data suggest that proband characteristics can alert clinicians to areas of developmental concern for young children with familial risk for ASD. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - February 4, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Health comorbidities and cognitive abilities across the lifespan in Down syndrome
ConclusionsOur results indicate the prevalence of multiple comorbidities varies across the lifespan in DS, and in adults, rates for psychiatric comorbidities show different patterns for males and females relative to expected population rates. Further, most health comorbidities are not associated with poorer cognitive outcomes in DS, apart from autism and epilepsy. It is essential for clinicians to consider such differences to provide appropriate care and treatment for those with DS and to provide prognostic information relating to cognitive outcomes in those with comorbidities. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - January 22, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

A telehealth approach to improving clinical trial access for infants with tuberous sclerosis complex
ConclusionThe design and implementation of more scalable methods to disseminate research remotely can substantially improve access to clinical trials in rare neurodevelopmental disorders. The lessons learned from this trial can serve as a model for future studies not only in rare conditions, but in other populations that lack adequate access, such as families with limited financial or clinical resources. Continued efforts will further refine delivery methods to enhance efficiency and ease of these delivery systems for families. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - January 21, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Guanfacine treatment improves ADHD phenotypes of impulsivity and hyperactivity in a neurofibromatosis type 1 mouse model
ConclusionsOverall, our study confirms thatNf1+/ − mice exhibit deficits in behavioral inhibition in multiple contexts, a key feature of ADHD, and can be used as a model system to identify alterations in neural circuitry associated with symptoms of ADHD in children with NF1. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - January 14, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Postural control processes during standing and step initiation in autism spectrum disorder
ConclusionsWe found that individuals with ASD showed reduced MI during circular sway suggesting a reduced ability to effectively coordinate joint movements during dynamic postural adjustments. Additionally, individuals with ASD showed reduced lateral sway when stepping indicating that motor rigidity may interfere with balance and gait. Postural control and stepping deficits were related to repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD indicating that motor rigidity and key clinical issues in ASD may represent overlapping pathological processes. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - January 5, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Initial eye gaze to faces and its functional consequence on face identification abilities in autism spectrum disorder
ConclusionTogether, the observed dissociation between initial, rapid face perception processes, and other measures of face perception offers new insights and hypotheses related to the timing and perceptual complexity of face processing and how these specific aspects of face identification may be disrupted in ASD. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 27, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Intellectual functioning and behavioural features associated with mosaicism in fragile X syndrome
ConclusionsMales with FXS had significantly lower intellectual functioning than females with FXS. However, there were no significant differences in ASD features and maladaptive behaviours, after controlling for intellectual functioning, independent of the presence or absence of mosaicism. This suggests that interventions that primarily target cognitive abilities may in turn reduce the severity of maladaptive behaviours including ASD features in FXS. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 25, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Quantifying the resolution of spatial and temporal representation in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
ConclusionsThe observation of higher detection thresholds to spatial and temporal stimuli indicates further evidence for reduced resolution in both spatial and temporal magnitude representation in 22q11DS, that does not extend to frequency magnitude representation (pitch detection), and which is not explained by generalized cognitive impairment alone. These findings generate further support for the hypothesis that spatiotemporal hypergranularity of mental representations contributes to the non-verbal cognitive impairment seen in 22q11DS. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 19, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Adaptation of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale for adults with Down syndrome
ConclusionsThe modified questionnaire and interview instruments capture a range of impairment in DS adults, including subthreshold symptomatology, and the instruments provide complementary information relevant to the ascertainment of dementia in DS. Decline was seen across all cognitive domains and was generally positively related to age and negatively related to IQ. Most importantly, adjusting instrument scores for chronic, premorbid impairment drastically shifted the distribution toward lower (no impairment) scores. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase disorders: an emerging group of developmental disorders of myelination
ConclusionThe syndromic nature and selective vulnerability of white matter tracts in these disorders suggests there may be a shared mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction to target for study. There is evidence that the clinical variability and white matter tract specificity of each mt-aaRS leukodystrophy depend on both canonical and non-canonical effects of the mutations on the process of mitochondrial translation. Furthermore, different sensitivities to the mt-aaRS mutations have been observed based on cell type. Most mutations result in at least partial retention of mt-aaRS enzyme function with varied effects on the mito...
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

White matter as a monitoring biomarker for neurodevelopmental disorder intervention studies
AbstractBackgroundEarly intervention is a valuable tool to support the development of toddlers with neurodevelopmental disorders. With recent research advances in early identification that allow for pre-symptomatic detection of autism in infancy, scientists are looking forward to intervention during infancy. These advances may be supported by the identification of biologically based treatment and outcome measures that are sensitive and dimensional.Main body of abstractThe purpose of this review is to evaluate white matter neurodevelopment as a monitoring biomarker for early treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Fragil...
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

A diffusion-weighted imaging tract-based spatial statistics study of autism spectrum disorder in preschool-aged children
ConclusionsThe current findings support growing evidence that preschool-aged children with ASD have atypical measures of WM microstructure that appear to differ in directionality from alterations observed in older individuals with the condition. To our knowledge, this study represents the largest sample of preschool-aged females with ASD to be evaluated using DWI. Microstructural differences associated with ASD largely overlapped between sexes. However, differential relationships of AD measures indicate that sex likely modulates ASD neuroanatomical phenotypes. Further longitudinal study is needed to confirm and quantify th...
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Reducing Th2 inflammation through neutralizing IL-4 antibody rescues myelination in IUGR rat brain
ConclusionsIn this study, we have identified inflammation as a factor in the decrease in myelin seen in an animal model of IUGR. IL-4, an inflammatory protein often thought to be protective in the adult, is specifically increased, and treatment of these animals to prevent this increase ameliorates white matter damage. Our results suggest that the immune system plays a role in IUGR that is different in the perinatal period than in the adult and preventing this exaggerated Th2 response may be a potential therapeutic target. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research

Early white matter development is abnormal in tuberous sclerosis complex patients who develop autism spectrum disorder
ConclusionsUnderconnectivity across multiple white matter fiber bundles develops over the first 2 years of life in subjects with TSC and ASD. Future studies examining brain-behavior relationships are needed to determine how variation in the brain structure is associated with ASD symptoms. (Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Source: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders - December 15, 2019 Category: Neurology Source Type: research