Troubles du spectre autistique et réalité virtuelle. Risque de pratique excessive des jeux vidéo chez les adolescents avec TSA ?

OBJECTIVES : To compare excessive video gaming (EVG) between a group of adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and an adolescents control group. METHODS : 40 subjects aged 11-18 years, diagnosed with ASD (DSM-5 and ICD-10 criteria) and 40 control subjects matched for age and sex were included. The subjects were evaluated using the Quotient of Autism (AQ) that assesses the severity of ASD, the Empathy Quotient (EQ), which evaluates the capacity for empathy and GRIFFITHS EVG questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by parents of adolescents with ASD and controls. RESULTS : the frequency of EVG (scores greater than 4 in the GRIFFITHS questionnaire) was higher (40 %, n=16) in the ASD group subjects than in the control group subjects (12.5 %, n=5, p=0.005), in particular for the video game “action” type (p=0.014). The average scores of the EVG GRIFFITHS questionnaire were higher in the ASD group subjects than in the control group subjects (p=0.008). The ASD subgroup subjects with EVG had higher average scores in AQ questionnaire autistic symptomatology (p=0.009), higher alterations in social skills AQ sub-score (p=0.02) and higher attention to detail AQ sub-score (p=0.02) compared to the ASD subgroup subjects without EVG. CONCLUSIONS : The PEJV are more frequent in adolescents with ASD than control adolescents. Adolescents with ASD and associated EVG have lower social skills and greater attention to detail than subjects with ASD without EVG.OBJECTIFS : comparer la pratique excessive des jeux vidéo (PEJV) entre un groupe d’adolescents présentant des Troubles du Spectre Autistique (TSA) et un groupe d’adolescents témoins. MÉTHODES : 40 sujets âgés de 11 à 18 ans, diagnostiqués TSA (critères DSM-5 et de la CIM-10) et 40 sujets témoins appariés sur l’âge et le sexe ont été inclus. Les sujets ont été évalués à l’aide du Quotient du Spectre de l’Autisme (AQ) qui évalue la sévérité des TSA, du Quotient d’Empathie (EQ) qui évalue la capacité d’empathie et du questionnaire de PEJV de GRIFFITHS. Les questionnaires ont été remplis par les parents d'adolescents avec TSA et des témoins. RÉSULTATS : la fréquence des PEJV (scores supérieurs à 4 au questionnaire de GRIFFITHS) était plus élevée (40%, n=16) dans le groupe de sujets diagnostiqués TSA que dans le groupe de sujets témoins (12,5%, n=5, p=0,005), notamment pour le type de jeu vidéo action (p=0,014). Les scores moyens au questionnaire de PEJV de GRIFFITHS étaient plus élevés dans le groupe de sujets avec TSA que dans le groupe de sujets témoins (p=0,008). Le sous-groupe de sujets avec PEJV du groupe TSA présentaient des scores moyens plus élevés au questionnaire AQ de symptomatologie autistique (p=0,009), au sous-score AQ d’altérations des habilités sociales (p=0,02) et au sous-score AQ d'attention aux détails (p=0,02) par rapport au sous-groupe de sujets sans PEJV du groupe TSA. CONCLUSIONS : les PEJV sont plus fréquents chez les adolescents avec TSA que chez les adolescents témoins. Les adolescents avec TSA et PEJV associée présentent des habilités sociales moindres et une plus grande attention aux détails que les sujets avec TSA sans PEJV

Investigating the natural history and prognostic factors of ASD in children: the multicEntric Longitudinal study of childrEN with ASD - the ELENA study protocol

International audienceThere is global concern about the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which are early-onset and long-lasting disorders. Although ASDs are considered to comprise a unique syndrome, their clinical presentation and outcome vary widely. Large-scale and long-term cohort studies of well-phenotyped samples are needed to better understand the course of ASDs and their determinants. The primary objective of the multicEntric Longitudinal study of childrEN with ASD (ELENA) study is to understand the natural history of ASD in children and identify the risk and prognostic factors that affect their health and development

Perceptions of parents of the impact of autism spectrum disorder on their quality of life and correlates: comparison between mothers and fathers

International audiencePurpose: To compare mothers and fathers perceptions of the impact of autism spectrum disorder on their Quality of Life (QoL), we used the Parental-Developmental Disorders-Quality of Life scale (Par-DD-QoL).Method: The perception of QoL of mothers and fathers was compared for 130 pairs of parents of children with ASD and the associated variables were investigated.Results: Mothers perceived a significantly greater impact of ASD on their QoL than fathers. Parents perceived a higher impact of ASD on global QoL when their child's adaptive skills were low and when the level of aberrant behaviors was high. More precisely, the perception of QoL by the mothers was negatively associated with their child's internalized disorders, whereas the perception of QoL by the fathers was negatively associated with their child's externalized disorders. Neither the mothers' nor the fathers' perception of the impact on QoL was associated with their children's age or the severity of their autistic symptoms. Some parental factors, such as being members of a family association, having benefited from training in ASD and having experienced a disruption in professional activity were associated with a greater impact on their QoL.Conclusion: Our finding that the perceived impact of ASD on QoL differed between mothers and fathers argues for individualized psychosocial support. Moreover, the strong correlation between the child's clinical characteristics and the perception by parents of a higher impact of ASD on QoL should be seen as red flag concerning the needs of the parents in terms of social and educational support

Adaptive behaviors and related factors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Report from ELENA cohort

International audienceThere are strong individual differences in adaptive behaviors (AB) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with conflicting results in literature about specific patterns and related factors. The present study aims to describe AB and identify related factors in terms of clinical and socio-familial characteristics in 875 children and adolescents with ASD in the multiregional ELENA cohort in France. Results showed that AB in children and adolescents with ASD were lower than in typically developing subjects, regardless of age group. AB were associated with clinical (gender, age at diagnosis, IQ, ASD severity, psychiatric comorbidities, motor and language skills, challenging behaviors), interventional (school attendance, special interventions) and familial characteristics (age, educational and socio-economic status of parents, household status, number of siblings). There is a need of interventions focusing on improvement of AB, tailored to children's characteristics