scholarly journals Autonomic Nervous System Neuroanatomical Alterations Could Provoke and Maintain Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Novel Microbiome–Host Interaction Mechanistic Hypothesis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Athanasios Beopoulos ◽  
Manuel Gea ◽  
Alessio Fasano ◽  
François Iris
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

Dysbiosis secondary to environmental factors, including dietary patterns, antibiotics use, pollution exposure, and other lifestyle factors, has been associated to many non-infective chronic inflammatory diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to maternal inflammation, although there is no conclusive evidence that affected individuals suffer from systemic low-grade inflammation as in many psychological and psychiatric diseases. However, neuro-inflammation and neuro–immune abnormalities are observed within ASD-affected individuals. Rebalancing human gut microbiota to treat disease has been widely investigated with inconclusive and contradictory findings. These observations strongly suggest that the forms of dysbiosis encountered in ASD-affected individuals could also originate from autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning abnormalities, a common neuro–anatomical alteration underlying ASD. According to this hypothesis, overactivation of the sympathetic branch of the ANS, due to the fact of an ASD-specific parasympathetic activity deficit, induces deregulation of the gut–brain axis, attenuating intestinal immune and osmotic homeostasis. This sets-up a dysbiotic state, that gives rise to immune and osmotic dysregulation, maintaining dysbiosis in a vicious cycle. Here, we explore the mechanisms whereby ANS imbalances could lead to alterations in intestinal microbiome–host interactions that may contribute to the severity of ASD by maintaining the brain–gut axis pathways in a dysregulated state.

scholarly journals Behavioral and Autonomic Responses in Treating Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Clinical and Phenomenological Insights from Two Case Reports

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 382
Author(s):  
Lucia Billeci ◽  
Ettore Caterino ◽  
Alessandro Tonacci ◽  
Maria Luisa Gava
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autonomic Response ◽  
System Response ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the process applied in subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to elaborate and communicate their experiences of daily life activities, as well as to assess the autonomic nervous system response that subtend such a process. This procedure was evaluated for the first time in two eight-year-old girls with high-functioning ASDs. The subjects performed six months of training, based on the cognitive–motivational–individualized (c.m.i.®) approach, which mainly consisted in building domestic procedures and re-elaborating acquired experiences through drawing or the use of icons made by the children. Together with behavioral observations, the response of the autonomic nervous system during such re-elaboration was recorded. A change in communicative and interactive competences was observed, moving from a condition of spontaneity to one in which the girls were engaged in relating their experiences to a parent. Autonomic response highlighted how, in communicating their own experiences, they achieved a state of cognitive activation, which enabled a greater communicative and emotional connection with the interlocutor. This is a proof-of-concept study on the application of the c.m.i.®, which needs to be extensively validated in the clinical setting.

scholarly journals Autonomic nervous system in children with autism spectrum disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-17
Author(s):  
Iveta Bujnakova ◽  
Igor Ondrejka ◽  
Michal Mestanik ◽  
Ingrid Tonhajzerova
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

scholarly journals Beta-adrenergic antagonism alters functional connectivity during associative processing in a preliminary study of individuals with and without autism

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-801
Author(s):  
John P Hegarty ◽  
Rachel M Zamzow ◽  
Bradley J Ferguson ◽  
Shawn E Christ ◽  
Eric C Porges ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Beta Adrenergic ◽  
Associative Processing ◽  
The Brain

Beta-adrenergic antagonism (e.g. propranolol) has been associated with cognitive/behavioral benefits following stress-induced impairments and for some cognitive/behavioral domains in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In this preliminary investigation, we examined whether the benefits of propranolol are associated with functional properties in the brain. Adolescents/adults (mean age = 22.54 years) with (n = 13) and without autism spectrum disorder (n = 13) attended three sessions in which propranolol, nadolol ( beta-adrenergic antagonist that does not cross the blood–brain barrier), or placebo was administered before a semantic fluency task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Autonomic nervous system measures and functional connectivity between language/associative processing regions and within the fronto-parietal control, dorsal attention, and default mode networks were examined. Propranolol was associated with improved semantic fluency performance, which was correlated with the baseline resting heart rate. Propranolol also altered network efficiency of regions associated with semantic processing and in an exploratory analysis reduced functional differences in the fronto-parietal control network in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Thus, the cognitive benefits from beta-adrenergic antagonism may be generally associated with improved information processing in the brain in domain-specific networks, but individuals with autism spectrum disorder may also benefit from additional improvements in domain-general networks. The benefits from propranolol may also be able to be predicted from baseline autonomic nervous system measures, which warrants further investigation.

scholarly journals Automatic Classification of Adult Males With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder by Non-contact Measurement of Autonomic Nervous System Activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirokazu Doi ◽  
Norimichi Tsumura ◽  
Chieko Kanai ◽  
Kenta Masui ◽  
Ryota Mitsuhashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Pulse Wave ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Facial Skin ◽  
Contact Measurement

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit atypicality in various domains of behavior. Previous psychophysiological studies have revealed an atypical pattern of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation induced by psychosocial stimulation. Thus, it might be feasible to develop a novel assessment tool to evaluate the risk of ASD by measuring ANS activation in response to emotional stimulation. The present study investigated whether people with ASD could be automatically classified from neurotypical adults based solely on physiological data obtained by the recently introduced non-contact measurement of pulse wave. We video-recorded faces of adult males with and without ASD while watching emotion-inducing video clips. Features reflective of ANS activation were extracted from the temporal fluctuation of facial skin coloration and entered into a machine-learning algorithm. Though the performance was modest, the gradient boosting classifier succeeded in classifying people with and without ASD, which indicates that facial skin color fluctuation contains information useful for detecting people with ASD. Taking into consideration the fact that the current study recruited only high-functioning adults who have relatively mild symptoms and probably developed some compensatory strategies, ASD screening by non-contact measurement of pulse wave could be a promising assessment tool to evaluate ASD risk.

scholarly journals Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natascia Brondino ◽  
Laura Fusar-Poli ◽  
Matteo Rocchetti ◽  
Umberto Provenzani ◽  
Francesco Barale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Hand Search ◽  
Cochrane Database ◽  
Detailed Evaluation ◽  
Abstract Screening ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Background. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) represents a popular therapeutic option for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data regarding the efficacy of CAM in ASD. The aim of the present systematic review is to investigate trials of CAM in ASD.Material and Methods. We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Agricola, and Food Science Source.Results. Our literature search identified 2687 clinical publications. After the title/abstract screening, 139 publications were obtained for detailed evaluation. After detailed evaluation 67 studies were included, from hand search of references we retrieved 13 additional studies for a total of 80.Conclusion. There is no conclusive evidence supporting the efficacy of CAM therapies in ASD. Promising results are reported for music therapy, sensory integration therapy, acupuncture, and massage.

scholarly journals ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN THE ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN CHILDREN

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-39
Author(s):  
L.N. Chernova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Epileptiform Discharges ◽  
Antioxidant Defense Systems

A large number of studies have been conducted up to date associated with the elemental status of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, it is still difficult to fully explain the relationship between ASD and elements due to previous inconsistent scientific results. The article reviews the possible role of essential elements in the etiopathogenesis of ASD in children. An imbalance of essential elements can cause a disruption in development of central nervous system. It leads to impaired differentiation and proliferation of neurons and disruption in myelination, affects neurochemistry and neurotransmitter balance, provokes oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. In particular, the balance of trace elements such as copper, iron and selenium is necessary to maintain the antioxidant defense systems. Increased levels of free radicals lead to cellular damage, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation linked to ASD. Magnesium and calcium, acting as secondary messengers in the central nervous system (CNS), regulate the processes of neural networks’ maturation and neurotransmitter release. An imbalance of potassium and sodium changes electrical activity of the brain and may be the cause of epileptiform discharges in ASD. Zinc provides the processes of neuronal migration and neurotransmission, while copper, iodine and iron contribute to myelination of nerve fibers.

scholarly journals Update on Atypicalities of Central Nervous System in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Ahmad Naqib Shuid ◽  
Putri Ayu Jayusman ◽  
Nazrun Shuid ◽  
Juriza Ismail ◽  
Norazlin Kamal Nor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Immune Dysregulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mtor Signaling Pathway ◽  
And Function

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined, neurodevelopmental disorder that has been modeled as a brain-based disease. The behavioral and cognitive features of ASD are associated with pervasive atypicalities in the central nervous system (CNS). To date, the exact mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ASD still remain unknown and there is currently no cure or effective treatment for this disorder. Many publications implicated the association of ASD with inflammation, immune dysregulation, neurotransmission dysfunction, mitochondrial impairment and cell signaling dysregulation. This review attempts to highlight evidence of the major pathophysiology of ASD including abnormalities in the brain structure and function, neuroglial activation and neuroinflammation, glutamatergic neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunction and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway dysregulation. Molecular and cellular factors that contributed to the pathogenesis of ASD and how they may affect the development and function of CNS are compiled in this review. However, findings of published studies have been complicated by the fact that autism is a very heterogeneous disorder; hence, we addressed the limitations that led to discrepancies in the reported findings. This review emphasizes the need for future studies to control study variables such as sample size, gender, age range and intelligence quotient (IQ), all of which that could affect the study measurements. Neuroinflammation or immune dysregulation, microglial activation, genetically linked neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunctions and mTOR signaling pathway could be the primary targets for treating and preventing ASD. Further research is required to better understand the molecular causes and how they may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.

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