In Europe, the prevalence of gambling disorders in the general population ranges from 0.15 to 6.6%. Professional athletes are known for having risk factors for addictive behaviors, such as young age or sensation seeking, though no study has yet tried to evaluate the prevalence of gambling and gambling disorders among this specific population. The goals of this study were to estimate the prevalence of gambling, problematic or not, among European professional athletes and to explore the factors that are associated with gambling practice and gambling problems in professional athletes. A self-completion questionnaire was specifically designed for this study. The questionnaires were distributed by European Union athletes to professional ice hockey, rugby, handball, basketball, football, indoor football, volleyball, and cricket teams in Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Socio-demographic variables (age, sex, education, marital and parental status, sport, country of birth, and country of practice), variables linked to gambling (gambling habits, screening of gambling problems with the Lie/Bet questionnaire, and gambling related cognitions), and impulsive behavior data (urgency, premeditation, perseverance, and sensation seeking [UPPS]-Short Form questionnaire) were gathered. There were 1,236 questionnaires filled out. The percentage of professional athletes that had gambled at least once during the previous year was 56.6%. The prevalence of problem gambling, current or past, was 8.2%. A certain number of variables were associated with the gambling status. In particular, betting on one's own team (OR = 4.1, CI [1.5-11.5]), betting online (OR = 2.9, CI [1.6-5.4]), gambling regularly (OR = 4.0, CI [2.1-7.6]), and having a high positive urgency score (OR = 1.5, CI [1.3-1.7]) were associated with gambling problems, current or past, among professional athletes. Professional athletes are particularly exposed to both gambling and problem gambling.

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Background While adult outcome in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is generally measured using socially valued roles, it could also be understood in terms of aspects related to health status – an approach that could inform on potential gender differences. Methods We investigated gender differences in two aspects of outcome related to health-status, i.e. general functioning and self-perceived health status, and co-occurring health conditions in a large multi-center sample of autistic adults. Three hundred and eighty-three participants were consecutively recruited from the FondaMental Advanced Centers of Expertise for ASD cohort (a French network of seven expert centers) between 2013 and 2020. Evaluation included a medical interview, standardized scales for autism diagnosis, clinical and functional outcomes, self-perceived health status and verbal ability. Psychosocial function was measured using the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. Results While autistic women in this study were more likely than men to have socially valued roles, female gender was associated with poorer physical and mental health (e.g. a 7-fold risk for having three or more co-occurring physical health conditions) and a poorer self-perceived health status. Psychosocial function was negatively associated with depression and impairment in social communication. Half of the sample had multiple co-occurring health conditions but more than 70% reported that their visit at the Expert Center was their first contact with mental health services. Conclusions To improve objective and subjective aspects of health outcome, gender differences and a wide range of co-occurring health conditions should be taken into account when designing healthcare provision for autistic adults.

Cognitive remediation therapy interventions could improve cognitive functioning in subjects with autism. To investigate the benefit of a short cognitive training rehabilitation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on pursuit and fixation performances. We recruited two groups (G1 and G2) of 30 children with ASD, sex‐, IQ‐ and age‐matched (mean 11.6 ± 0.5 years), and pursuit and fixation eye movements were recorded twice at T1 and T2. Between T1 and T2, a 10‐min cognitive training was performed by the G1 group only, whereas the G2 group had a 10‐min of rest. For all children with ASD enrolled in the study, there was a positive correlation between restricted and repetitive behaviour scores of both Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised (ADI‐R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the number of saccades recorded during the fixation task at T1. At T1, oculomotor performances were similar for both groups of ASD children (G1 and G2). At T2, we observed a significant reduction in the number of saccades made during both pursuit and fixation tasks. Our findings underlined the importance to promote cognitive training rehabilitation for children with ASD, leading to a better performance in inhibitory and attention functioning responsible for pursuit and fixation eye movement's performance.

Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by deficits in social communication or interaction and repetitive behaviours. Maternal immune activation (MIA) during the mid-pregnancy is a known risk factor for ASD. Although reported in 15% of affected individuals, little is known about the specificity of their clinical profiles. Adaptive skills represent a holistic approach to a person's competencies and reflect specifically in autism, their strengths and difficulties. Methods In this study, we hypothesised that individual with ASD with a history of MIA (MIA+) could be more severely socio-adaptively impaired than those without MIA during pregnancy (MIA−). To answer this question, we considered two independent cohorts of individuals with ASD (PARIS study and FACE ASD) screened for pregnancy history, and used a supervised and unsupervised statistical approach. Results We included 295 mother-child dyads with 14% of them with MIA+. We found that ASD-MIA+ individuals displayed more severe maladaptive behaviors, specifically in their socialization abilities. MIA+ directly influenced individual's socio-adaptive skills, independent of other covariates, including ASD severity. Interestingly, MIA+ may affected persistently the socio-adaptive behavioral trajectories of individuals with ASD. Limitations : The current study has a retrospective design with possible recall bias regarding the MIA event and, even if pooled from two cohorts, has a relatively small population. In addition, we were limited by the number of covariables available potentially impacted socio-adaptive behaviors. Larger prospective study with additional dimensions related to ASD is needed to confirm our results Conclusions Specific pathophysiological pathways may explain these clinical peculiarities of ASD- MIA+ individuals, and may open the way to new perspectives in deciphering the phenotypic complexity of autism and for the development of specific immunomodulatory strategies.

Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by deficits in social communication or interaction and repetitive behaviours. Maternal immune activation (MIA) during the mid-pregnancy is a known risk factor for ASD. Although reported in 15% of affected individuals, little is known about the specificity of their clinical profiles. Adaptive skills represent a holistic approach to a person's competencies and reflect specifically in autism, their strengths and difficulties. Methods In this study, we hypothesised that individual with ASD with a history of MIA (MIA+) could be more severely socio-adaptively impaired than those without MIA during pregnancy (MIA−). To answer this question, we considered two independent cohorts of individuals with ASD (PARIS study and FACE ASD) screened for pregnancy history, and used a supervised and unsupervised statistical approach. Results We included 295 mother-child dyads with 14% of them with MIA+. We found that ASD-MIA+ individuals displayed more severe maladaptive behaviors, specifically in their socialization abilities. MIA+ directly influenced individual's socio-adaptive skills, independent of other covariates, including ASD severity. Interestingly, MIA+ may affected persistently the socio-adaptive behavioral trajectories of individuals with ASD. Limitations The current study has a retrospective design with possible recall bias regarding the MIA event and, even if pooled from two cohorts, has a relatively small population. In addition, we were limited by the number of covariables available potentially impacted socio-adaptive behaviors. Larger prospective study with additional dimensions related to ASD is needed to confirm our results Conclusions Specific pathophysiological pathways may explain these clinical peculiarities of ASD- MIA+ individuals, and may open the way to new perspectives in deciphering the phenotypic complexity of autism and for the development of specific immunomodulatory strategies.

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Le confinement survenu en mars 2020 en France, lié à la pandémie de la Covid-19 a eu pour conséquence de perturber l’accès aux soins ainsi que les habitudes de la plupart des familles. Pour les parents d’enfant présentant un trouble du neurodéveloppement ( tnd ), par exemple un trouble du spectre de l’autisme ( tsa ) ou un trouble du déficit de l’attention et de l’hyperactivité ( tdah ), les modifications des routines ont aggravé certaines difficultés préexistantes. La nécessité d’assurer la continuité des soins tout en respectant les nouvelles contraintes sanitaires a favorisé un recours accru à la télémédecine, notamment en psychiatrie de l’enfant. Par ailleurs, pour répondre aux nouvelles difficultés auxquelles les familles confinées ont dû faire face, le centre d’excellence Inov and a proposé certaines pratiques innovantes. Cet article est une rétrospective de ces nouvelles activités conduites par le service durant la période de confinement. Celles-ci ont consisté à : – créer des fiches techniques et didactiques, répondant à différentes problématiques auxquelles les familles concernées par un tnd ont été confrontées. Le tout regroupé sur un site Internet ; – organiser un dispositif d’évaluation diagnostique à distance qui a permis d’éviter l’arrêt brutal d’une grande partie des activités du service ; – élaborer un dispositif d’intervention à distance, sous forme de groupes d’échange et de soutien entre parents. Il semble, au terme de l’expérience, que ces solutions de télémédecine mises en place en urgence et de façon transitoire auraient vocation à être pérennisées, car elles offrent un complément aux pratiques habituelles.