1. |
- Fernandes, Lucrecia Cabral, et al.
(författare)
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Aspects of Sexuality in Adolescents and Adults Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Childhood.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of autism and developmental disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-3432 .- 0162-3257. ; 46:9, s. 3155-3165
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The literature concerning sexuality in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is limited regarding inappropriate sexual behaviours and paraphilias and its relation to age, verbal ability, symptom severity, intellectual ability, or adaptive functioning. A cohort of 184 adolescents and young adults (ages 15-39years) with ASD diagnosed in childhood, including both low and high functioning individuals, was examined. The large majority were found to have a sexual interest and showed interest towards the opposite sex. Inappropriate sexual behaviours and paraphilias were reported for about a fourth of the individuals. No relationships were found between inappropriate sexual behaviours and any of the background variables listed above. However, associations were found between paraphilias and ASD symptom severity, intellectual ability, and adaptive functioning.
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2. |
- Hagberg, Bibbi, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Asperger syndrome and nonverbal learning difficulties in adult males: self- and parent-reported autism, attention and executive problems.
- 2015
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Ingår i: European child & adolescent psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1435-165X .- 1018-8827. ; 24:8, s. 969-977
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A specific overlap between Asperger syndrome (AS) and nonverbal learning difficulties (NLD) has been proposed, based on the observation that, as a group, people with AS tend to have significantly higher verbal IQ (VIQ) than performance IQ (PIQ), one of the core features of NLD. The primary aim was to assess the longer term outcome of NLD-broken down into persistent and transient forms. The present study of 68 individuals was performed in the context of a larger prospective longitudinal study to late adolescence/early adult life of 100 boys with AS. Using self- and parent-report measures, we studied the longer term outcome of the NLD (defined as VIQ>PIQ by 15 points) as regards social communication, repetitive behaviour, attention, and executive function (EF) was studied. Three subgroups were identified: (1) Persistent NLD (P-NLD), (2) Childhood "only" NLD (CO-NLD) and (3) Never NLD (NO-NLD). The P-NLD group had the worst outcome overall. The CO-NLD group had better reported EF scores than the two other AS subgroups. There were no differences between the subgroups regarding social communication, repetitive behaviour, or attentional skills. Low PIQ increased the risk of ADHD symptoms. In the context of AS in males, P-NLD carries a relatively poor outcome, particularly with regard to self-reported EF. However, CO-NLD appears to entail a significantly better outcome. The results underscore the importance of analysing the cognitive profile both at diagnosis and after several years, so as to be able to formulate a realistic prognosis.
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3. |
- Kantzer, Anne-Katrin, et al.
(författare)
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Young children who screen positive for autism : Stability, change and comorbidity over two years
- 2018
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Ingår i: Research in Developmental Disabilities. - : Elsevier BV. - 0891-4222 .- 1873-3379. ; 72, s. 297-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder with a wide variety of clinical phenotypes and co-occurrences with other neurodevelopmental conditions. Symptoms may change over time.Aims: The aim of the present study was to prospectively follow 96 children, initially assessed for suspected ASD at an average age of 2.9 years.Methods and procedures: All children had been identified with autistic symptoms in a general population child health screening program, and had been referred to the Child Neuropsychiatry Clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden for further assessment by a multi-professional team at Time 1 (T1). This assessment included a broad neurodevelopmental examination, structured interviews, a cognitive test and evaluations of the childis adaptive and global functioning. Two years later, at Time 2 (T2), the children and their parents were invited for a follow-up assessment by the same team using the same methods.Outcomes and results: Of the 96 children, 76 had met and 20 had not met full criteria for ASD at T1. Of the same 96 children, 79 met full ASD criteria at T2. The vast majority of children with ASD also had other neurodevelopmental symptoms or diagnoses. Hyperactivity was observed in 42% of children with ASD at T2, and Intellectual Developmental Disorder in 30%. Borderline Intellectual Functioning was found in 25%, and severe speech and language disorder in 20%. The children who did not meet criteria for ASD at T2 had symptoms of or met criteria for other neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders in combination with marked autistic traits. Changes in developmental profiles between T1 and T2 were common in this group of young children with ASD. The main effect of Cognitive level at T1 explained more than twice as much of the variance in Vineland scores as did the ASD subtype; children with IDD had significantly lower scores than children in the BIF and AIF group. Co-existence with other conditions was the rule.Conclusions and implications: Reassessments covering the whole range of these conditions are necessary for an optimized intervention adapted to the individual child's needs.
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4. |
- Kyriakopoulou, Vanessa, et al.
(författare)
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Normative biometry of the fetal brain using magnetic resonance imaging.
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain structure & function. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1863-2661 .- 1863-2653. ; 222:5, s. 2295-2307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fetal brain shows accelerated growth in the latter half of gestation, and these changes can be captured by 2D and 3D biometry measurements. The aim of this study was to quantify brain growth in normal fetuses using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and to produce reference biometry data and a freely available centile calculator ( https://www.developingbrain.co.uk/fetalcentiles/ ). A total of 127 MRI examinations (1.5T) of fetuses with a normal brain appearance (21-38 gestational weeks) were included in this study. 2D and 3D biometric parameters were measured from slice-to-volume reconstructed images, including 3D measurements of supratentorial brain tissue, lateral ventricles, cortex, cerebellum and extra-cerebral CSF and 2D measurements of brain biparietal diameter and fronto-occipital length, skull biparietal diameter and occipitofrontal diameter, head circumference, transverse cerebellar diameter, extra-cerebral CSF, ventricular atrial diameter, and vermis height, width, and area. Centiles were constructed for each measurement. All participants were invited for developmental follow-up. All 2D and 3D measurements, except for atrial diameter, showed a significant positive correlation with gestational age. There was a sex effect on left and total lateral ventricular volumes and the degree of ventricular asymmetry. The 5th, 50th, and 95th centiles and a centile calculator were produced. Developmental follow-up was available for 73.1% of cases [mean chronological age 27.4 (±10.2) months]. We present normative reference charts for fetal brain MRI biometry at 21-38 gestational weeks. Developing growth trajectories will aid in the better understanding of normal fetal brain growth and subsequently of deviations from typical development in high-risk pregnancies or following premature delivery.
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5. |
- Lockwood Estrin, G, et al.
(författare)
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Altered white matter and cortical structure in neonates with antenatally diagnosed isolated ventriculomegaly.
- 2016
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. Clinical. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-1582. ; 11, s. 139-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ventriculomegaly (VM) is the most common central nervous system abnormality diagnosed antenatally, and is associated with developmental delay in childhood. We tested the hypothesis that antenatally diagnosed isolated VM represents a biological marker for altered white matter (WM) and cortical grey matter (GM) development in neonates. 25 controls and 21 neonates with antenatally diagnosed isolated VM had magnetic resonance imaging at 41.97(±2.94) and 45.34(±2.14) weeks respectively. T2-weighted scans were segmented for volumetric analyses of the lateral ventricles, WM and cortical GM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures were assessed using voxel-wise methods in WM and cortical GM; comparisons were made between cohorts. Ventricular and cortical GM volumes were increased, and WM relative volume was reduced in the VM group. Regional decreases in fractional anisotropy (FA) and increases in mean diffusivity (MD) were demonstrated in WM of the VM group compared to controls. No differences in cortical DTI metrics were observed. At 2years, neurodevelopmental delays, especially in language, were observed in 6/12 cases in the VM cohort. WM alterations in isolated VM cases may be consistent with abnormal development of WM tracts involved in language and cognition. Alterations in WM FA and MD may represent neural correlates for later neurodevelopmental deficits.
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