Susan Bryson1,2,3, Nancy Garon4, Tracey McMullen5, Jessica Brian6, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum7,8, Vickie Armstrong3, Wendy Roberts9, Isabel Smith1,2,3, Peter Szatmari10,11,12. 1. a Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada. 2. b Department of Psychology & Neuroscience , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada. 3. c Autism Research Centre , IWK Health Centre , Halifax , NS , Canada. 4. d Department of Psychology , Mount Allison University , Sackville , NB , Canada. 5. e Department of Psychology , York University , Toronto , ON , Canada. 6. f Autism Research Centre , Bloorview Research Institute/University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada. 7. g Department of Pediatrics , University of Alberta , Edmonton , AB , Canada. 8. h Autism Research , Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital , Edmonton , AB , Canada. 9. i ISAND , Toronto , ON , Canada. 10. j Department of Psychiatry , University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada. 11. k Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto , ON , Canada. 12. l Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborate , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , ON , Canada.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: We provide data on visual orienting and emotional distress in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD: Participants included 83 high-risk (HR) infants with an older sibling with ASD and 53 low-risk (LR) control infants with no family history of ASD. Infants were assessed on the gap-overlap task and a parent-completed temperament questionnaire at 6 and 12 months of age. At 36 months of age, an independent, gold standard diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted. RESULTS: HR infants subsequently diagnosed with ASD were distinguished at 12 months by an asymmetric disengage impairment (for left- vs. right-sided stimuli) that was associated with an increase in latencies between 6 and 12 months. Across groups, prolonged left-directed disengage latencies at 12 months were associated with emotional distress (high irritability and difficult to soothe). CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetry in our findings raises the question of whether the disengage problem in ASD is at base one of orienting or alerting attention. Our findings also raise the question of whether attention training might be a critical ingredient in the early treatment of ASD.
INTRODUCTION: We provide data on visual orienting and emotional distress in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD:Participants included 83 high-risk (HR) infants with an older sibling with ASD and 53 low-risk (LR) control infants with no family history of ASD. Infants were assessed on the gap-overlap task and a parent-completed temperament questionnaire at 6 and 12 months of age. At 36 months of age, an independent, gold standard diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted. RESULTS: HR infants subsequently diagnosed with ASD were distinguished at 12 months by an asymmetric disengage impairment (for left- vs. right-sided stimuli) that was associated with an increase in latencies between 6 and 12 months. Across groups, prolonged left-directed disengage latencies at 12 months were associated with emotional distress (high irritability and difficult to soothe). CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetry in our findings raises the question of whether the disengage problem in ASD is at base one of orienting or alerting attention. Our findings also raise the question of whether attention training might be a critical ingredient in the early treatment of ASD.
Authors: Monica Siqueiros Sanchez; Erik Pettersson; Daniel P Kennedy; Sven Bölte; Paul Lichtenstein; Brian M D'Onofrio; Terje Falck-Ytter Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2020-06
Authors: Sooyeon Sung; Angela Fenoglio; Jason J Wolff; Robert T Schultz; Kelly N Botteron; Stephen R Dager; Annette M Estes; Heather C Hazlett; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Joseph Piven; Jed T Elison Journal: Child Dev Date: 2022-04-29
Authors: Daniela Canu; Sara Van der Paelt; Ricardo Canal-Bedia; Manuel Posada; Marleen Vanvuchelen; Herbert Roeyers Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2020-02-22 Impact factor: 4.785