The benefit of directly comparing autism and schizophrenia for revealing mechanisms of social cognitive impairment

Autism and schizophrenia share a history of diagnostic conflation that was not definitively resolved until the publication of the DSM-III in 1980. Though now recognized as heterogeneous disorders with distinct developmental trajectories and dissociative features, much of the early nosological confusion stemmed from apparent overlap in certain areas of social dysfunction. In more recent years, separate but substantial literatures have accumulated for autism and schizophrenia demonstrating that abnormalities in social cognition directly contribute to the characteristic social deficits of both disorders. The current paper argues that direct comparison of social cognitive impairment can highlight shared and divergent mechanisms underlying pathways to social dysfunction, a process that can provide significant clinical benefit by informing the development of tailored treatment efforts. Thus, while the history of diagnostic conflation between autism and schizophrenia may have originated in similarities in social dysfunction, the goal of direct comparisons is not to conflate them once again but rather to reveal distinctions that illuminate disorder-specific mechanisms and pathways that contribute to social cognitive impairment

Advanced paternal age effects in neurodevelopmental disorders?review of potential underlying mechanisms

Multiple epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between advanced paternal age (APA) at conception and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, particularly with regard to increased risk for autism and schizophrenia. Conclusive evidence about how age-related changes in paternal gametes, or age-independent behavioral traits affect neural development is still lacking. Recent evidence suggests that the origins of APA effects are likely to be multidimensional, involving both inherited predisposition and de novo events. Here we provide a review of the epidemiological and molecular findings to date. Focusing on the latter, we present the evidence for genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underpinning the association between late fatherhood and disorder in offspring. We also discuss the limitations of the APA literature. We propose that different hypotheses relating to the origins of the APA effects are not mutually exclusive. Instead, multiple mechanisms likely contribute, reflecting the etiological complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders

Childhood Autism in the UK and Greece: A Cross-National Study of progress in different intervention contexts

The British Society of Developmental Disabilities 2018.Aim: This is a cross-national study with the aim to explore the development of children with autism over time in the UK and Greece. The focus of the study was to investigate the differences in language and social skills between children with autism across the two countries who were receiving different types of treatment: speech and language therapy, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy, and occupational therapy. Study design: A cross-national longitudinal design with a mixed (between-subjects and within-subjects) design. Participants: A sample of 40 children in total. In the UK, 20 children with autism who had received psychotherapy (n = 10) and speech and language therapy (n = 10) were recruited and monitored post-therapy twice over a two-year period. In Greece, 20 children with autism who received occupational therapy (n = 10) and speech and language therapy (n = 10) were recruited and monitored post-therapy twice over a two-year period. Results: All children changed significantly over time on all aspects of measurement, demonstrating that children with autism are developing in a very similar way across the two countries. With respect to the effect of the therapy context on the development of children with autism, it was found that there were no differences across intervention contexts at the start of the study, and there were mainly nonsignificant interactions in the rate of change across the differing types of intervention. However, further analysis showed some important differences: speech and language therapy participants presented more widespread change on language scores across the measures; psychotherapy participants showed significant greater increase in imagination and decrease in stereotypical behavior; and occupational therapy participants presented significant reduction of stereotypical behavior. Conclusions: This study can help professionals who work with children with autism further their understanding of the disorder and how it manifests through time in order to provide appropriate services based on each child’s needs. Keywords: Childhood autism, speech and language therapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, UK, Greece.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio