| Examining the validity of the use of ratio IQs in psychological assessments | 10.15154/1522624 | IQ tests are amongst the most used psychological assessments, both in research and clinical settings. For participants who cannot complete IQ tests normed for their age, ratio IQ scores (RIQ) are routinely computed and used as a proxy of IQ, especially in large research databases to avoid missing data points. However, because it has never been scientifically validated, this practice is questionable. In the era of big data, it is important to examine the validity of this widely used practice. In this paper, we use the case of autism to examine the differences between standard full-scale IQ (FSIQ) and RIQ. Data was extracted from four databases in which ages, FSIQ scores and subtests raw scores were available for autistic participants between 2 and 17 years old. The IQ tests included were the MSEL (N=12033), DAS-II early years (N=1270), DAS-II school age (N=2848), WISC-IV (N=471) and WISC-V (N=129). RIQs were computed for each participant as well as the discrepancy (DSC) between RIQ and FSIQ. We performed two linear regressions to respectively assess the effect of FSIQ and of age on the DSC for each IQ test, followed by additional analyses comparing age subgroups as well as FSIQ subgroups on DSC. Participants at the extremes of the FSIQ distribution tended to have a greater DSC than participants with average FSIQ. Furthermore, age significantly predicted the DSC, with RIQ superior to FSIQ for younger participants while the opposite was found for older participants. These results question the validity of this widely used alternative scoring method, especially for individuals at the extremes of the normal distribution, with whom RIQs are most often employed. | 260/17423 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| The importance of low IQ to early diagnosis of autism | 10.15154/1528140 | Some individuals can flexibly adapt to life’s changing demands while others, in particular those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), find it challenging. The origin of early individual differences in cognitive abilities, the putative tools with which to navigate novel information in life, including in infants later diagnosed with ASD remains unexplored. Moreover, the role of intelligence quotient (IQ) vis-à-vis core features of autism remains debated. We systematically investigate the contribution of early IQ in future autism outcomes in an extremely large, population-based study of 8,000 newborns, infants, and toddlers from the US between 2 and 68 months with over 15,000 cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments, and for whom autism outcomes are ascertained or ruled out by about 2-4 years. This population is representative of subjects involved in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research, mainly on atypical development, in the US. Analyses using predetermined age bins showed that IQ scores are consistently lower in ASD relative to TD at all ages (p<0.001), and IQ significantly correlates with calibrated severity scores (total CSS, as well as non-verbal and verbal CSS) on the ADOS. Note, VIQ is no better than the full-scale IQ to predict ASD cases. These findings raise new, compelling questions about potential atypical brain circuitry affecting performance in both verbal and nonverbal abilities and that precede an ASD diagnosis. This study is the first to establish prospectively that low early IQ is a major feature of ASD in early childhood. | 21/6323 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Examining Diagnostic Trends and Gender Differences in the ADOS-II | 10.15154/jxd2-vw05 | Approximately 3–4 boys for every girl meet the clinical criteria for autism in studies of community diagnostic patterns and studies of autism using samples of convenience. However, girls with autism have been hypothesized to be underdiagnosed, possibly because they may present with differing symptom profiles as compared to boys. This secondary data analysis used the National Database of Autism Research (NDAR) to examine how gender and symptom profiles are associated with one another in a gold standard assessment of autism symptoms, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule II (ADOS-II; Lord, C., Luyster, R., Guthrie, W., & Pickles A. (2012a). Patterns of developmental trajectories in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(3):477–489. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027214. Epub 2012 Apr 16. PMID: 22506796, PMCID: PMC3365612). ADOS-II scores from 6183 children ages 6–14 years from 78 different studies in the NDAR indicated that gender was a significant predictor of total algorithm, restrictive and repetitive behavioral, and social communicative difficulties composite severity scores. These findings suggest that gender differences in ADOS scores are common in many samples and may reflect on current diagnostic practices. | 167/5615 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Gender Differences: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the ADOS-II | 10.15154/4sxe-qh09 | Purpose
Recent research has suggested that autism may present differently in girls compared to boys, encouraging the exploration of a sex-differential diagnostic criteria. Gender differences in diagnostic assessments have been shown on the ADOS-II, such that, on average, females score significantly lower than males on all scales and are less likely to show atypicality on most items related to social communicative difficulties. Yet, gender differences in the latent structure of instruments like the ADOS-II have not been examined systematically.
Methods
As such, this secondary data analysis examined 4,100 youth diagnosed with autism (Mage = 9.9, 813 female & 3287 male) examined item response trends by gender on the ADOS-II Module 3.
Results
Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis results show that the factor loadings of four ADOS-II items differ across the genders. One SCD item and one RRB item are strongly related to the latent factor in the female group, while two RRB items have larger factor loadings in the male group.
Conclusion
The assumption of an identical latent factor structure for the ADOS-II Module 3 for males and females might not be justifiable. Possible diagnostic implications are discussed. | 167/5615 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Prognostic early snapshot stratification of autism based on adaptive functioning | 10.15154/0z1c-1d37 | A major goal of precision medicine is to predict prognosis based on individualized information at the earliest possible points in development. Using early snapshots of adaptive functioning and unsupervised data- driven discovery methods, we uncover highly stable early autism subtypes that yield information relevant to later prognosis. Data from the National Institute of Mental Health Data Archive (NDA) (n = 1,098) was used to uncover three early subtypes (<72 months) that generalize with 96% accuracy. Outcome data from NDA (n = 2,561; mean age, 13 years) also reproducibly clusters into three subtypes with 99% generalization accuracy. Early snapshot subtypes predict developmental trajectories in non-verbal cognitive, language and motor domains and are predictive of membership in different adaptive functioning outcome subtypes. Robust and prognosis- relevant subtyping of autism based on early snapshots of adaptive functioning may aid future research work via prediction of these subtypes with our reproducible stratification model. | 178/3517 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Investigating autism etiology and heterogeneity by decision tree algorithm | 10.15154/1518655 | Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes deficits in cognition, communication and social skills. ASD, however, is a highly heterogeneous disorder. This heterogeneity has made identifying the etiology of ASD a particularly difficult challenge, as patients exhibit a wide spectrum of symptoms without any unifying genetic or environmental factors to account for the disorder. For better understanding of ASD, it is paramount to identify potential genetic and environmental risk factors that are comorbid with it. Identifying such factors is of great importance to determine potential causes for the disorder, and understand its heterogeneity. Existing large-scale datasets offer an opportunity for computer scientists to undertake this task by utilizing machine learning to reliably and efficiently obtain insight about potential ASD risk factors, which would in turn assist in guiding research in the field. In this study, decision tree algorithms were utilized to analyze related factors in datasets obtained from the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) consisting of nearly 3000 individuals. We were able to identify 15 medical conditions that were highly associated with ASD diagnoses in patients; furthermore, we extended our analysis to the family medical history of patients and we report six potentially hereditary medical conditions associated with ASD. Associations reported had a 90% accuracy. Meanwhile, gender comparisons highlighted conditions that were unique to each gender and others that overlapped. Those findings were validated by the academic literature, thus opening the way for new directions for the use of decision tree algorithms to further understand the etiology of autism.
| 303/3382 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Psychometric Analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire Using an Item-Response Theory Framework: Implications for the Use of the Lifetime and Current Forms | 10.15154/1158938 | The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was developed as a screener of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To date, the majority of the SCQ utility studies focused on its external validity (e.g., ROC curve analyses), but very few have addressed the internal validity issues. With samples consisting of 2,134 individuals available from the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), the current study examined the factor structure, item-level characteristics, and measurement equivalence of the SCQ forms (i.e., Lifetime form and Current form) using both the classical true score theory and the item response theory (IRT). While our findings indicate sufficient psychometric properties of the SCQ Lifetime form, measurement issues emerged with respect to the SCQ Current form. These issues include lower internal consistencies, a weaker factor structure, lower item discriminations, significant pseudo-guessing effects, and subscale-level measurement bias. Thus, we caution researchers and clinicians about the use of the SCQ Current form. In particular, it seems inappropriate to use the Current form as an alternative to the Lifetime form among children younger than 5 years old or under other special situations (e.g., teacher-report data), although such practices were advised by the publisher of the SCQ. Instead, we recommend modifying the wording of the Lifetime form items rather than switching to the Current form where a 3-month timeframe is specified for responding to SCQ items. Future studies may consider investigating the association between the temporality of certain behaviors and the individual’s potential for being diagnosed with ASD, as well as the age neutrality of the SCQ. | 295/2054 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Unravelling the Collective Diagnostic Power Behind the Features in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule | 10.15154/1421921 | Background: Autism is a group of heterogeneous disorders defined by deficits in social interaction and communication. Typically, diagnosis depends on the results of a behavioural examination called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Unfortunately, administration of the ADOS exam is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of expert intervention, leading to delays in diagnosis and access to early intervention programs. The diagnostic power of each feature in the ADOS exam is currently unknown. Our hypothesis is that certain features could be removed from the exam without a significant reduction in diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity or specificity.
Objective: Determine the smallest subset of predictive features in ADOS module-1 (an exam variant for patients with minimal verbal skills).
Methodology: ADOS module-1 datasets were acquired from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and the National Database for Autism Research. The datasets contained 2572 samples with the following labels: autism (1763), autism spectrum (513), and non-autism (296). The datasets were used as input to 4 different cost-sensitive classifiers in Weka (functional trees, LADTree, logistic model trees, and PART). For each classifier, a 10-fold cross validation was preformed and the number of predictive features, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity was recorded.
Results & Conclusion: Each classifier resulted in a reduction of the number of ADOS features required for autism diagnosis. The LADtree classifier was able to obtain the largest reduction, utilizing only 10 of 29 ADOS module-1 features (96.8% accuracy, 96.9% sensitivity, and 95.9% specificity). Overall, these results are a step towards a more efficient behavioural exam for autism diagnosis.
| 44/1832 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Imbalanced social-communicative and restricted repetitive behavior subtypes in autism spectrum disorder exhibit different neural circuitry | 10.15154/1524418 | Social-communication (SC) and restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are autism diagnostic symptom domains. SC and RRB severity can markedly differ within and between individuals and may be underpinned by different neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms. Modeling SC-RRB balance could help identify how neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms map onto such phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we developed a phenotypic stratification model that makes highly accurate (97–99%) out-of-sample SC = RRB, SC > RRB, and RRB > SC subtype predictions. Applying this model to resting state fMRI data from the EU-AIMS LEAP dataset (n = 509), we find that while the phenotypic subtypes share many commonalities in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity, they also show replicable differences within some networks compared to a typically-developing group (TD). Specifically, the somatomotor network is hypoconnected with perisylvian circuitry in SC > RRB and visual association circuitry in SC = RRB. The SC = RRB subtype show hyperconnectivity between medial motor and anterior salience circuitry. Genes that are highly expressed within these networks show a differential enrichment pattern with known autism-associated genes, indicating that such circuits are affected by differing autism-associated genomic mechanisms. These results suggest that SC-RRB imbalance subtypes share many commonalities, but also express subtle differences in functional neural circuitry and the genomic underpinnings behind such circuitry. | 159/1708 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Derivation of Brain Structure Volumes from MRI Neuroimages hosted by NDAR using C-PAC pipeline and ANTs | 10.15154/1165646 | An automated pipeline was developed to reference Neuroimages hosted by the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) and derive volumes for distinct brain structures using Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs) and the Configurable-Pipeline for the Analysis of Connectomes (C-PAC) platform. This pipeline utilized the ANTs cortical thickness methodology discuessed in "Large-Scale Evaluation of ANTs and Freesurfer Cortical Tchickness Measurements" [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24879923] to extract a cortical thickness volume from T1-weighted anatomical MRI data gathered from the NDAR database. This volume was then registered to an stereotaxic-space anatomical template (OASIS-30 Atropos Template) which was acquired from the Mindboggle Project webpage [http://mindboggle.info/data.html]. After registration, the mean cortical thickness was calculated at 31 ROIs on each hemisphere of the cortex and using the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville (DKT-31) cortical labelling protocol [http://mindboggle.info/faq/labels.html] over the OASIS-30 template.
**NOTE: This study is ongoing; additional data my be available in the future.**
As a result, each subject that was processed has a cortical thickness volume image and a text file with the mean thickness ROIs (in mm) stored in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Simple Storage Service (S3). Additionally, these results were tabulated in an AWS-hosted database (through NDAR) to enable simple, efficient querying and data access.
All of the code used to perform this analysis is publicly available on Github [https://github.com/FCP-INDI/ndar-dev]. Additionally, as a computing platform, we developed an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) that comes fully equipped to run this pipeline on any dataset. Using AWS Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2), users can launch our publicly available AMI ("C-PAC with benchmark", AMI ID: "ami-fee34296", N. Virginia region) and run the ANTs cortical thickness pipeline. The AMI is fully compatible with Sun Grid Engine as well; this enables users to perform many pipeline runs in parallel over a cluster-computing framework. | 2/1428 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Automated Autism Diagnosis using Phenotypic and Genotypic Attributes: Phase I | 10.15154/1343559 | The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a predictive system that can automate the diagnosis process for autism using phenotypic and genotypic attributes for classification. At this time, only a first phase is being pursued: starting with scores from Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) reports, use data-mining techniques to select the smallest set of the most informative evaluation points that can lead to similar behavioral diagnoses as using all report features. The effort began in March, 2016 after data access to NDAR was granted. This report describes the results from that date through the end of December 2016. | 42/1045 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Revising the Social Communication Questionnaire scoring procedures for Autism Spectrum Disorder and potential Social Communication Disorder | 10.15154/1195993 | In analyzing data from the National Database for Autism Research, we examine revising the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), a commonly used screening instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorder. A combination of Item Response Theory and Mokken scaling techniques were utilized to achieve this and abbreviated scoring of the SCQ is suggested. The psychometric sensitivity of this abbreviated SCQ was examined via bootstrapped Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Additionally, we examined the sensitivity of the abbreviated and total scaled SCQ as it relates to a potential diagnosis of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SCD). As SCD is a new disorder introduced with the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), we identified individuals with potential diagnosis of SCD among individuals with ASD via mixture modeling techniques using the same NDAR data. These analyses revealed two classes or clusters of individuals when considering the two core areas of impairment among individuals with ASD: social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. | 270/889 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Brain-based sex differences in autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan: A systematic review of structural MRI, fMRI, and DTI findings | 10.15154/1522486 | Females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been long overlooked in neuroscience research, but emerging evidence suggests they show distinct phenotypic trajectories and age-related brain differences. Sex-related biological factors (e.g., hormones, genes) may play a role in ASD etiology and have been shown to influence neurodevelopmental trajectories. Thus, a lifespan approach is warranted to understand brain-based sex differences in ASD. This systematic review on MRI-based sex differences in ASD was conducted to elucidate variations across the lifespan and inform biomarker discovery of ASD in females. We identified articles through two database searches. Fifty studies met criteria and underwent integrative review. We found that regions expressing replicable sex-by-diagnosis differences across studies overlapped with regions showing sex differences in neurotypical (NT) cohorts, in particular regions showing NT male>female volumes. Furthermore, studies investigating age-related brain differences across a broad age-span suggest distinct neurodevelopmental patterns in females with ASD. Qualitative comparison across youth and adult studies also supported this hypothesis. However, many studies collapsed across age, which may mask differences. Furthermore, accumulating evidence supports the female protective effect in ASD, although only one study examined brain circuits implicated in “protection.” When synthesized with the broader literature, brain-based sex differences in ASD may come from various sources, including genetic and endocrine processes involved in brain “masculinization” and “feminization” across early development, puberty, and other lifespan windows of hormonal transition. Furthermore, sex-related biology may interact with peripheral processes, in particular the stress axis and brain arousal system, to produce distinct neurodevelopmental patterns in males and females with ASD. Future research on neuroimaging-based sex differences in ASD would benefit from a lifespan approach in well-controlled and multivariate studies. Possible relationships between behavior, sex hormones, and brain development in ASD remain largely unexamined. | 40/759 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Derivation of Brain Structure Volumes from MRI Neuroimages hosted by NDAR using LONI Workflows | 10.15154/1169189 | LONI utilized de-identified data from NDAR's cloud and a LONI Pipeline (pipeline.loni.usc.edu) processing workflow to perform a secondary structural MRI examination. The workflow used in this study pulls data from and provided by NDAR to an instance on the LONI compute cluster, aligns data to a standard orientation using FSLreorient2stsd, and undergoes further image processing to eventually identify, extract, and analyze cortical and sub-cortical structures in different MRI brain volumes. Two methods were used for this image processing: the first uses Freesurfer Recon_All to extract brain cortical parcellation and surfaces, align the data to an atlas, and identify, and analyze regions of interest; the second uses FSL to extract the brain (BET), align the data to an atlas, and extract ROIs including sub-cortical regions using FSL FIRST. The second method also uses Freesurfer (mri_segstats) to perform statistical analysis of these ROIs. Lastly, the LONI Pipeline workflow updates and returns the data processed and extracted by Freesurfer and FSL as a miNDAR back to NDAR's cloud storage instance. These results can be used to assess quality control or be used to perform post-hoc comparisons of cortical and sub-cortical brain architecture between subject types. See also, Torgerson et al. (2015) Brain Imaging and Behavior, for additional details on using LONI Pipeline to access and process NDAR data. | 2/740 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Predictors of self-injurious behaviour exhibited by individuals with autism spectrum disorder | 10.15154/1226464 | Presence of an autism spectrum disorder is a risk factor for development of self-injurious behaviour (SIB) exhibited by individuals with developmental disorders. The most salient SIB risk factors historically studied within developmental disorders are level of intellectual disability, communication deficits and presence of specific genetic disorders. Recent SIB research has expanded the search for risk factors to include less commonly studied variables for people with developmental disorders: negative affect, hyperactivity and impulsivity. | 324/589 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Variants in adjacent oxytocin/vasopressin gene region and associations with ASD diagnosis and autism related endophenotypes | 10.15154/1303416 | Background: There has been increasing interest in oxytocin (peptide: OT, gene: OXT) as a treatment pathway for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Neurodevelopmental disorders affect functional, social, and intellectual abilities. With advances in molecular biology, research has connected multiple gene regions to the clinical presentation of ASD. Studies have also shown that the neuropeptide hormones OT and arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence mammalian social and territorial behaviors and may have treatment potential for neurodevelopmental disorders. Published data examining molecular and phenotypic variation in ASD, such as cognitive abilities, are limited. Since most studies have focused on the receptors in the OT-AVP system, we investigated genetic variation within peptide genes for association with phenotypic ASD features that help identify subgroups within the spectrum.
Methods: In this study, TDT analysis was carried out utilizing FBAT in 207 probands (156 trios) and a European Ancestry (EA) subsample (108 trios). The evolutionarily related and adjacent genes of OXT and AVP were studied for associations between the tagged single nucleotide polymorphisms and ASD diagnosis, social abilities, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, and IQ for cognitive abilities. Additionally, relationships with whole blood serotonin (WB5HT) were explored because of the developmental relationships connecting plasma levels of OT and WB5HT within ASD.
Results: Results indicate significant association between OXT rs6084258 (p=0.001) and ASD. Associations with several intermediate phenotypes were also noted: OXT rs6133010 was associated with IQ (full scale IQ, p=0.008; nonverbal IQ, p=0.009, verbal IQ, p=0.006); and OXT rs6084258 and OXT rs877172 were associated with WB5HT levels (EA, p=0.029 and p=0.050, respectively). Additionally, we measured plasma OT (pOT) levels in a subsample (N=54). Results show the same two polymorphisms, OXT rs877172 and OXT rs6084258, have significant association with pOT (EA, p=0.002 and p=0.011, respectively).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that SNPs near OXT and AVP are associated with diagnosis of ASD, social behaviors, restricted and repetitive behaviors, IQ, pOT, and WB5HT. Future studies need to replicate these findings and examine gene-interactions in other neurodevelopmental disorders. Mechanisms of action may influence early social and cognitive development that may or may not be limited to ASD diagnosis.
| 528/565 | Primary Analysis | Shared |
| ASD and genetic associations with receptors for oxytocin and vasopressin – AVPR1A, AVPR1B, and OXTR | 10.15154/1345185 | Background: There are limited treatments available for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies have reported significant associations between the receptor genes of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) and ASD diagnosis, as well as, ASD-related phenotypes. Researchers have also found the manipulation of these systems affect social and repetitive behaviors, core characteristics of ASD. Consequently, research involving the oxytocin/vasopressin pathways as intervention targets has increased. Therefore, further examination into the relationship between these neuropeptides and ASD was undertaken. In this study, we examined associations between variants in the receptor genes of vasopressin (AVPR1A, AVPR1B), oxytocin (OXTR) and ASD diagnosis along with related subphenotypes.
Methods: Probands were assessed using Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and clinical DSM-IV-TR criteria. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AVPR1B and OXTR, and microsatellites in AVPR1A were genotyped in ~200 families with a proband with ASD. Family-based association testing (FBAT) was utilized to determine associations between variants and ASD. Haplotypes composed of OXTR SNPs (i.e. rs53576-rs2254298-rs2268493) were also analyzed due to previously published associations.
Results: Using the additive inheritance model in FBAT we found associations between AVPR1B SNPs (rs28632197, p=0.005, rs35369693, p=0.025) and diagnosis. As in other studies, OXTR rs2268493 (p=0.050) was associated with diagnosis. rs2268493 was also associated with ASD subphenotypes of social withdrawal (p=0.013) and insistence on sameness (p=0.039). Further analyses demonstrated that the haplotype, rs2254298-rs2268493 was found to be significantly associated with diagnosis (A-T; p=0.026). FBAT was also used to analyze AVPR1A microsatellites (RS1 and RS3). Both length variants were found to be associated with restrictive, repetitive behaviors, but not overall diagnosis. Correction for multiple comparisons was performed for SNPs tested in each gene region, only AVPR1B SNPs remained significantly associated with ASD diagnosis.
Conclusions: Autism is a heterogeneous disorder with many genes and pathways that contribute to its development. SNPs and microsatellites in the receptor genes of OT and AVP are associated with ASD diagnosis and measures of social behavior as well as restricted repetitive behaviors. We reported a novel association with ASD and AVPR1B SNPs. Understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships may be helpful in the development of pharmacological interventions for the OT/AVP system. | 490/490 | Primary Analysis | Shared |
| Face-processing performance is an independent predictor of social affect as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule across large-scale datasets | 10.15154/1520631 | Face-processing deficits, while not required for the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), have been associated with impaired social skills—a core feature of ASD; however, the strength and prevalence of this relationship remains unclear. Across 445 participants from the NIMH Data Archive, we examined the relationship between Benton Face Recognition Test (BFRT) performance and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Social Affect (ADOS-SA) scores. Lower BFRT scores (worse face-processing performance) were associated with higher ADOS-SA scores (higher ASD severity)–a relationship that held after controlling for other factors associated with face processing, i.e., age, sex, and IQ. These findings underscore the utility of face discrimination, not just recognition of facial emotion, as a key covariate for the severity of symptoms that characterize ASD. | 1/445 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Leveraging blood serotonin as an endophenotype to identify de novo and rare variants involved in autism. | 10.15154/1271285 | Background:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, but underlying molecular mechanisms are still unresolved due to extreme locus heterogeneity. Leveraging meaningful endophenotypes or biomarkers is an effective strategy to reduce heterogeneity to identify novel ASD genes. Numerous lines of evidence suggest a link between hyperserotonemia, i.e., elevated serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) in whole blood, and ASD. However, the genetic determinants of blood 5-HT level and their relationship to ASD are largely unknown.
Methods:
In this study, pursuing the hypothesis that de novo variants (DNVs) and rare risk alleles acting in a recessive mode may play an important role in predisposition of hyperserotonemia in people with ASD, we carried out whole exome sequencing (WES) in 116 ASD parents-proband trios with most (107) probands having 5-HT measurements.
Results:
Combined with published ASD DNVs, we identified USP15 as having recurrent de novo gene with loss of function mutations, and provided evidence supporting two other known genes with recurrent DNVs (FOXP1 and KDM5B). Genes harboring functional DNVs significantly overlap with functional/disease gene sets known to be involved in ASD etiology, including FMRP targets and synaptic formation and transcriptional regulation genes. We dichotomized the probands into High-5HT and Normal-5HT groups based on normalized serotonin levels and identified novel genes related to the TGF- pathway in the High-5HT group using Network-based Gene Enrichment Analysis (NGSEA). Through analysis of rare recessively acting variants (RAVs), we found that rare compound heterozygotes (CHs) in the High-5HT group were enriched for loci in an ASD-associated gene set. Finally, we carried out rare variant group-wise transmission disequilibrium tests and observed significant association of rare variants in genes encoding the serotonin pathway with ASD.
Conclusions:
Our study identified novel genes harboring DNVs implicated in ASD. Leveraging 5-HT as an endophenotype, we identified genes pointing to the TGF- pathway as potentially contributing to hyperserotonemia in ASD. Our study demonstrates the value of 5-HT as an effective endophenotype for gene discovery in ASD, evincing the need for greater collection of proband 5-HT data for future ASD genetics studies.
| 340/348 | Primary Analysis | Shared |
| The Sensitivity and Specificity of the Social Communication Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorder with Respect to Age | 10.15154/1195992 | Scientific Abstract
The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) assesses communication skills and social functioning in screening for symptoms of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). The SCQ is recommended for individuals between 4 to 40 years with a cutoff score of 15 for referral. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the recommended cutoff score’s ability to accurately classify an individual as at-risk for ASD (sensitivity) versus an individual as not at-risk for ASD (specificity). Based on a sample from the National Database for Autism Research (n=344; age: 1.58 to 25.92 years old), the present study examined the SCQ’s sensitivity versus specificity across a range of ages. We recommend that the cutoff scores for the SCQ be re-evaluated with age as a consideration.
Lay Abstract
The age neutrality of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was examined as a common screener for ASD. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the recommended cutoff score’s ability to accurately classify an individual as at-risk for ASD (sensitivity) versus accurately classifying an individual as not at-risk for ASD (specificity). With a sample from the National Database for Autism Research, the present study examined the SCQ’s sensitivity versus specificity. Analyses indicated that the actual sensitivity and specificity scores were lower than initially reported by the creators of the SCQ. | 3/339 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Whole Blood Serotonin Levels and Platelet 5-HT2A Binding in Autism Spectrum Disorder | 10.15154/1357364 | Elevated whole blood serotonin (WB5-HT) is a well-replicated biomarker in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Decreased platelet serotonin receptor 5-HT2A binding has been reported in ASD. WB5-HT levels and platelet 5-HT2A specific binding were obtained from 110 individuals with ASD and 18 controls. Individuals with ASD had significantly higher WB5-HT levels than controls. There was no difference in the platelet 5-HT2A specific binding between groups. Multiple regression analyses revealed that platelet 5-HT2A binding significantly predicted WB5-HT in the control sample but not in the ASD sample. These results indicate that the relationship between WB5-HT and platelet 5-HT2A binding differs depending on ASD diagnosis, suggesting differences in platelet 5-HT system regulation in ASD. | 128/128 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
| Clinical and neurocognitive issues associated with Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome: A case study | 10.15154/1504186 | Nuclear receptor group 2 family 1 (NR2F1) is an orphan receptor and transcriptional regulator that is involved in neurogenesis, visual processing and development, and cortical patterning. Alterations in NR2F1 cause Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome (BBSOAS), a recently described autosomal dominant disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental disabilities and optic atrophy. This study describes the clinical and neurocognitive features of an individual with a de novo nonsense variant in NR2F1 (NM_005654.5:c.82C>T, p.Gln28*), identified by whole exome sequencing. The patient was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and unlike most previously reported cases, he had no developmental delay, superior verbal abilities (verbal IQ = 141), and high educational attainment despite reduced nonverbal abilities (nonverbal IQ = 63). He had optic nerve hypoplasia without visual impairment as well as mild dysmorphic features. Compared to both age-matched individuals with ASD and healthy controls, the patient showed reductions in manual motor speed, accuracy of saccadic eye movements, and rates of successful behavioral response inhibition. Although the majority of previously reported cases of BBSOAS have been associated with more global intellectual dysfunction, we report on a patient with selective disruption of nonverbal abilities and superior verbal abilities. | 12/12 | Primary Analysis | Shared |
