Class 8: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Flashcards
Define ASD
A neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life
According to the DSM, what two domains is ASD associated to
- Persistent deficits in social communication & social interaction across multiple contexts
- Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities
Name 4 deficits in the Social Communication and Interaction portion of DSM for Autism
- Abnormal eye contact
- Not getting emotional cues
- Not initiating or responding to social interactions
- Deficits in developing, maintaining, or understanding relationships
Name 4 deficits in Restricted, Repetitive Patterns of Behaviour, Interests, or Activities portion of DSM for Autism
- Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech
- Insistence on sameness, inflexible to change in routine, or have ritualized patterns of verbal/non-verbal behaviour
- Highly fixated interests with abnormal intensity
- Hyper-reactivity or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment
Name 3 characteristics associated with ASD that are NOT in the DSM-5
- Lack of or more than reasonable amount of fear
- Delayed language, movement or learning
- Epilepsy or seizure disorder
What are ASD strengths?
- Direction
- Order
- Time
How common is a ASD diagnosis in Canada?
1 in 66
How common is a ASD diagnosis for MALES in Canada?
1 in 42
How common is a ASD diagnosis for FEMALES in Canada?
1 in 165
What percent of diagnosed people with ASD are diagnosed by age 8?
75%
Why might ASD be much more common in males?
The surge of testosterone seems to contribute to ASD
What are 4 development behavioural symptoms of ASD? And at what ages?
- Does not respond to name by 9 months
- Does not use gestures by 12 months
- Does not use facial expressions, or notice when others are hurt or upset by 9 to 24 months
- Does not notice children & join them in play by 36 months
At what age is ASD reliably diagnosed?
2 years of age (extreme cases) or usually around 6 years of age (median)
What does MRI stand for?
Magnetic resonance imaging
In what disorder does an enhancement in the connection between brain areas seem to occur?
ASD especially between sensory processing and emotion
Define synaptic pruning
Fine tuning of brain connections. Eliminating unwanted synapses
What is a theory regarding synaptic pruning and ASD?
That the brain has an overgrowth of synaptic connections due to a deficiency in the ability to clear synapses
What is the ‘normal’ timeline for synapse development?
- The creation of many synapses
- The elimination of not needed or unused synapse (Synapse Elimination)
- The maturing in the synapses that remain (Synapse Maturation)
What is the ‘ASD’ timeline of synaptic development?
- The creation of many synapses
- Failed elimination some synapses (Failed Elimination)
- Excessive synapses trying and struggling to develop
Is this normal or abnormal synaptic pruning?
Abnormal
Is this normal or abnormal synaptic pruning?
Normal
Define Maternal Inflammation
Inflammation that occurs in pregnant moms resulting from activation of immune system (potentially affecting developing fetus)
What is a environmental risk factor for ASD?
Maternal Inflammation
Describe a mouse social interaction test.
- There are three areas originally empty
- Add a mouse
- The original mouse ‘should’ want to be with other mouse
Do anti-inflammatories prevent autistic behaviours when given to the mother mouse?
Yes
Is ASD heritable and how do we know?
Yes highly, monozygotic twins is 36%-91% vs other twins 0%-5%
Define ABA
Applied Behavior Analysis which emphasize play, social interaction, and communication
