On the Nature of Infantile Autism

MacCulloch, Malcolm J.; Williams, C.

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1971.tb02216.x

Cited by 54 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(10 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Descriptively, the boys with ASD showed arousal levels that were lower on average than that of the FXS group but higher on average than those of the TD boys (with neither difference statistically significant). There is great inconsistency across prior investigations of arousal in ASD with a number of reports indicating that heart rate in ASD is similar to controls (Althaus et al, 1999; Corona et al, 1998; MacCulloch & Williams, 1971; Sigman et al, 2003) and other reports suggesting that heart rate is atypically elevated (Bal et al, 2010; Goodwin et al, 2006; Mathewson et al, 2011; Woodard et al, 2012). The inconsistency across studies might suggest that elevated heart rate is only characteristic of particular subgroups of individuals with ASD, which is consistent with the “middle of the road” arousal level detected in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Physiological Arousal in Autism and Fragile X Syndrome: Group Comparisons and Links With Pragmatic Language

Klusek¹,

Martin²,

Losh³

2013

American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study tested the hypothesis that pragmatic (i.e., social) language impairment is linked to arousal dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). Forty boys with ASD, 39 with FXS, and 28 with typical development (TD), aged 4–15 years, participated. Boys with FXS were hyperaroused compared to boys with TD but did not differ from boys with ASD. Dampened vagal tone predicted pragmatic impairment in ASD, and associations emerged between cardiac activity and receptive/expressive vocabulary across groups. Findings support autonomic dysfunction as a mechanism underlying pragmatic impairment in ASD and suggest that biophysiological profiles are shared in ASD and FXS, which has implications for understanding the role of fragile X mental retardation-1 (FMR1, the FXS gene) in the pathophysiology of ASD.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Physiological Arousal in Autism and Fragile X Syndrome: Group Comparisons and Links With Pragmatic Language

Klusek¹,

Martin²,

Losh³

2013

American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous researchers have employed cardiovascular measures in persons with autism and other developmental disabilities to assess physiological reactivity to a variety of behaviors, including engagement in stereotypical behavior (Lewis et al, 1989;Sroufe, Struecher, & Strutzer, 1973;Willemsen-Swinkels, Buitellar, Dekker, & van Engeland, 1998), attention responses (Cohen & Johnson, 1977;Kootz & Cohen, 1981;Kootz, Marinelli, & Cohen, 1982;Zahn, Rumsey, & van Kammen, 1987), and habituation (Barry & James, 1988). Studies focusing specifically on cardiovascular functioning in this population have also been conducted (Graveling & Brooke, 1978;Hutt, Forrest, & Richer, 1975;MacCulloch & Williams, 1971).…”

Section: Physiological Measuresmentioning

confidence: 96%

Assessing Cardiovascular Responses to Stressors in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Groden

Goodwin²,

Baron

et al. 2005

Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Characteristics of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities may make this population especially vulnerable to the effects of stress. Prior research on stress and its measurement in this population is reviewed. Using a single-case multielement design, this study explores the feasibility of measuring cardiovascular responses to four stressors in 10 individuals (age 13 to 37 years) with autism and other developmental disabilities. Results suggest that assessing cardiovascular responses is a viable procedure for identifying individual differences in reactivity to specific environmental stressors. Implications of this research and future directions for assessment are discussed.

show abstract

“…Early investigations of heart rate in autism date back to the 1960’s and were primarily focused on validating theoretical accounts that atypical sensory responses in autism were rooted in physiological reactivity (e.g., Bernal & Miller, 1970; Hutt et al, 1964; MacCulloch & Williams, 1971; Rimland, 1964). While these first reports provide historical context to physiological investigations of autism and have laid the foundation for more recent work, results are not reviewed given the significant advances in techniques for indexing cardiac activity and changes in autism diagnostic nosology since these earliest investigations have been published.…”

Section: Case-control Comparisons Of General Arousal Level Indexed Bymentioning

confidence: 99%

Cardiac autonomic regulation in autism and Fragile X syndrome: A review.

Klusek¹,

Roberts²,

Losh³

2015

Psychological Bulletin

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the significance of efforts to understand the biological basis of autism, progress in this area has been hindered, in part, by the considerable heterogeneity in the disorder. Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a monogenic condition associated with high risk for autism, may pave the way for the dissection of biological heterogeneity within idiopathic autism. This paper adopts a cross-syndrome biomarker approach to evaluate potentially overlapping profiles of cardiac arousal dysregulation (and broader autonomic dysfunction) in autism and FXS. Approaches such as this, aimed at delineating shared mechanisms across genetic syndromes, hold great potential for improving diagnostic precision, promoting earlier identification, and uncovering key systems that can be targeted in pharmaceutical/behavioral interventions. Biomarker approaches may be vital to deconstructing complex psychiatric disorders, and are currently promoted as such by major research initiatives such as the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Evidence reviewed here supports physiological dysregulation in a subset of individuals with autism, as evidenced by patterns of hyperarousal and dampened parasympathetic vagal tone, which overlap with the well-documented physiological profile of FXS. Moreover, there is growing support for a link between aberrant cardiac activity and core deficits associated with autism, such as communication and social impairment. The delineation of physiological mechanisms common to autism and FXS could lend insight into relationships between genetic etiology and behavioral endstates, highlighting FMR1 as a potential candidate gene. Research gaps and potential pitfalls are discussed to inform timely, well-controlled biomarker research that will ultimately promote better diagnosis and treatment of autism and associated conditions.

show abstract

On the Nature of Infantile Autism

Cited by 54 publications

References 29 publications

Physiological Arousal in Autism and Fragile X Syndrome: Group Comparisons and Links With Pragmatic Language

Physiological Arousal in Autism and Fragile X Syndrome: Group Comparisons and Links With Pragmatic Language

Assessing Cardiovascular Responses to Stressors in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Cardiac autonomic regulation in autism and Fragile X syndrome: A review.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About