website updates july, 2015 - Ψ dr. kevin t....

Website UpdatesJuly, 2015

Kevin T. Blake. Ph.D., P.L.C.

Tucson, Arizona

Kevin T. Blake, Ph.D., P.L.C. All Rights Reserved 1

The Hormones of Mothers of ASD Children

Recent research indicates that mothers with a dysregulation of oxytocin and vasopressin and/or testosterone systems may cause their infants to be susceptible to autism.Xu, X-J, et al. (September 25, 2013). Mothers of Autistic Children: Lower Plasma Levels of Oxytocin and Arg-

Vasopressin and a Higher Level of Testosteron. PLoS One. DOI: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074849.


Valproic Acid, Vasopressin, and ASD

It is known that pregnant mothers who take valproic acid (a medication typically used for bipolar Disorder and various Seizures) are at significant risk of having a child with autism. Recently, scientists from Switzerland discovered when they injected valproic acid into pregnant rat mothers their offspring had significant deficits in social behavior, and spatial working memory as well as motor hyperactivity. Hence, they created a rat equivalent of autism. When they treated the young rats with a vasopressin V1a receptor-specific small molecule antagonist their brain images changed and their behavior became normalized.Grundschober, C., et al. (May 15, 2014). A New Vasopressin V1a Antagonist Reveals a Brain Network Involved in the

Symptomatology of the Rat Valproate Model of Autism. Paper presented at The International Society for Autism Research International Conference, May 14-17, 2014, Atlanta, GE.


Maternal Stress Changes Offspirng’s brain Development

Research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Vet Med Center has indicated when pregnant mouse females are subjected to stress it alters their proteins related to vaginal immunity and lactobacillus. This causes the offspring to have access to less lactobacillus and bacteria from their mother’s vaginal area and alters the microbiota in the neonate’s gullet, changes metabolites involved in energy balance and thus causes sex specific alterations in the brains of the pups. Hence, the offspring experience detrimental changes in their guts, immune systems and brains.Jaserevi, E., et al. (July 9, 2015). Alterations in the Vaginal Microbiome by Maternal Stress Are Associated

With Metabolic Reprogramming of the Offspring Gut and Brain. Endocrinology. DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1177.


ASD, Anxiety and Dogs

Researchers discovered that children with ASD are significantly more anxious in all situations when compared to typically developing children, except when a dog is present. They believe dogs may have a anxiety reducing quality with ASD children.

Ohare, M.E., et al. (July, 2015). Animals may act as social buffers: Skin conductance arousal in children with autism spectrum disorder in a social context. Developmental Psychobiology, 57(5), 584-585.


Prosody & High Functioning Adults with ASD

Scientists discovered high functioning adults with ASD have significant deficits in facial and voice recognition when compared to non-impaired adults, but not psychoacoustic or prosody recognition abilities. The ability to recognize emotions shown by faces predicted the ASD adults’ ability to recognize vocal emotion, however.Globerson, E., et al. (April, 2015). Prosody Recognition in Adults With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum

Disorders: From Psychoacoustics to Cognition. Autism Research, 8(2), 153-163.


Those with ASD May Not have Problems with Their Mirror Neurons

Researchers found that the speed of learning a new movement through imitation was just as fast among those with ASD as those without ASD. They also found that those with ASD do not have difficulty with spatial compatibility. Taken together the scientists believe they may have disproven the “broken Mirror Neuron hypothesis of ASD.Sowden, S., et al. (June 26, 2015). Intact Automatic Imitation and Typical Spatial Compatibility in Autism

Spectrum Disorder: Challenging the Broken Mirror Theory. Autism Research. DOI: 10.1002/aur.1511.


Social Hierarchy and Vasopressin

Scientists have discovered that variations of the vasopressin genes in chimpanzees can cause sexually dimorphic differences in their social hierarchy behavior.Latzman, R.D., et al. (April 21, 2014). Personality in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Exploring the Hierarchical

Structure and Associations with the Vasopressin V1A Receptor Gene. PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095741.


Joint Attention and Vasopressin

Scientists recently found that differences in the vasopressin receptor gene in male chimpanzees can cause problems in their ability to have social joint attention no matter what their environmental developmental background. They speculated this is what causes similar difficulties in males with autism.Hopkins, W.D., et al. (January 20, 2014). Genetic Influences on Receptive Joint Attention in Chimpanzees (Pan

troglodytes). Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/srep03774.


Vasopressin and Pair Bonding in Humans

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University recently discovered that one gene similar to the vasopressin gene that cause pair bonding in voles cause pair bonding in humans.Walum, H. et al. (July 14, 2008). Genetic variation in the vasopressin receptor 1a gene (AVPR1A) associates

with pair-bonding behavior in humans. PNAS, 105(37), 14,153–14,156 .


ASD, Vasopressin, and Oxytocin

Scientists recently found that girls with ASD have significantly higher oxytocin levels than ASD boys and boys with ASD have significantly higher levels of vasopressin. The two hormones had no significant effect on the diagnosis of ASD. High oxytocin levels were associated with higher anxiety in girls with ASD and better pragmatic language in girls and boys with ASD. Higher vasopressin was associated with fewer repetitive and restrictive behaviors is girls with ASD, but not boys with ASD. The authors speculated that there may be sexually dimorphic mechanisms for oxytocin and vasopressin in children with ASD.Miller, M., et al. (April 6, 2013). Oxytocin and vasopressin in children and adolescents with autism spectrum

disorders: sex differences and associations with symptoms. Autism Research, 6(2), 91-102


High Functioning Women with ASD

A recent study indicated that high functioning women with ASD have significant difficulty with comorbid mental health disorders, and unmet educational and workplace supports as well as social isolation and exclusion.Baldwin, S., et al. (June 25, 2015). The experiences and needs of female adults with high-functioning autism

spectrum disorder. Autism. DOI: 10.1177/1362361315590805.


ASD, Math, & Metacognition

Researchers from Great Britton discovered when children with ASD make a mathematical mistake they are more likely to say they had gotten an incorrect answer correct when compared to non-ASD children. They were also more likely to report that had tried to get the answer incorrect. The researchers speculated this may demonstrate children with ASD have difficulties with their metacognition.Brosnan, M., et al. (June 22, 2015). Deficits in metacognitive monitoring in mathematics assessments in

learners with autism spectrum disorder. Autism. DOI: 1362361315589477.


Altitude and AD/HD

Recently some researchers found that lower levels of atmospheric oxygen can be related to higher levels of dopamine. They as a result investigated the rate of AD/HD in communities of higher altitude and found that there was slightly less AD/HD at high altitude. Heurber, R.S., et al. (March 25, 2015). Association Between Altitude and Regional Variation of ADHD in

Youth. Journal of Attention Disorders. DOI: 10.1177/1087054715577137.


AD/HD and/or Depression, & Driving

Researchers found that depression, but not AD/HD was connected to self-reported desire to hurt oneself after an accident. AD/HD was more likely to cause multiple accidents/violations and the person to be at fault than depression.Aduen, P.A., et al. (March 25, 2015). Motor vehicle driving in high incidence psychiatric disability:

Comparison of drivers with ADHD, depression, and no known psychopathology. Journal of Attention Disorder. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.03.009.


http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.03.009

Substance Abuse Disorder and AD/HD

Australian Researchers recently found that 44% of those seeking treatment for substance abuse disorders met criterion for AD/HD. They found the AD/HD patients with SUDs used amphetamines, alcohol, and opiates.Young, J.T., et al. (March 18, 2015). Comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use

disorder complexity and chronicity in treatment-seeking adults. Drug and Alcohol Review. DOI: 10.1111/dar.12249.


What Works With AD/HD Children in The Classroom

British researchers reviewed the literature and found that structured psychoeducation about AD/HD and training in relationship building skills are important treatments for AD/HD children in the classroom. It is also important to address the attributions of teachers toward AD/HD children as wells as that of the parents and other children.Richardson, M., et al. (July 2015). Non-pharmacological interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD) delivered in school settings: systematic reviews of quantitative and qualitative research. Health Technology Assessment. DOI: 10.3310/hta19450.


website updates july, 2015 - Ψ dr. kevin t....

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