Survey of Child Neurologists Highlights a Missed Opportunity for Identifying and Treating Motor Impairments in Autism.

Background: Motor impairments, such as motor delays, atypical gait, dyspraxia, and poor coordination, are highly prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Motor impairments are detrimental to multiple aspects of development but are often underdiagnosed and undertreated in children and adolescents with ASD. Child neurologists are specialists who provide clinical care for autistic patients across the lifespan.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Motor Intervention on Cognition, Communication, and Social Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Aims: Conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of motor intervention on social, communication, and cognitive skills in individuals (0-21 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Seven databases were used to search for randomized control trials (RCT) implementing a motor intervention for children with ASD; and measured social, communication, and cognitive outcomes. Twenty-three RCTs were selected with 66 outcomes and 636 participants (range of mean age: 4.

Validation of markerless video-based gait analysis using pose estimation in toddlers with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.

Introduction: The onset of locomotion is a critical motor milestone in early childhood and increases engagement with the environment. Toddlers with neurodevelopmental disabilities often have atypical motor development that impacts later outcomes. Video-based gait analysis using pose estimation offers an alternative to standardized motor assessments which are subjective and difficult to ascertain in some populations, yet very little work has been done to determine its accuracy in young children.

Genomics-informed neuropsychiatric care for neurodevelopmental disorders: Results from a multidisciplinary clinic.

Purpose: Patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have high rates of neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Genomic medicine may help guide care because pathogenic variants are identified in up to 50% of patients with NDDs. We evaluate the impact of a genomics-informed, multidisciplinary, neuropsychiatric specialty clinic on the diagnosis and management of patients with NDDs.

Objective measurement of movement variability using wearable sensors predicts ASD outcomes in infants at high likelihood for ASD and ADHD.

Early motor delays and differences are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet, little work has shown whether there are early atypical motor signs that differentiate these groups. Quantitative measures of movement variability hold promise for improving the identification of subtle and specific differences in motor function among infants and toddlers at high likelihood for ASD and ADHD.

A novel dance intervention program for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities: a pilot randomized control trial.

Background: Organized physical activity programs have been shown to provide wide benefits to participants, though there are relatively few studies examining the impact of these programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility and impact of an undergraduate-led dance intervention program for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. We evaluated the impact of the dance program on motor ability and social skills.

Examining the neurodevelopmental and motor phenotypes of Bohring-Opitz syndrome (ASXL1) and Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome (ASXL3).

Background: Chromatin Modifying Disorders (CMD) have emerged as one of the most rapidly expanding genetic disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Motor impairments are also prevalent in CMD and may play a role in the neurodevelopmental phenotype. Evidence indicates that neurodevelopmental outcomes in CMD may be treatable postnatally; thus deep phenotyping of these conditions can improve clinical screening while improving the development of treatment targets for pharmacology and for clinical trials.

Slower pace in early walking onset is related to communication, motor skills, and adaptive function in autistic toddlers.

The onset of walking is a major developmental milestone in early childhood and is critical to the development of language and social communication. Delays in walking have been described in individuals with ASD. Yet, less is known about the quality of early gait development in toddlers with ASD and the relationship to motor skills, social communication, and language.

Qualitative and Quantitative Measures of Joint Attention Development in the First Year of Life: A Scoping Review.

Joint attention (JA) is the purposeful coordination of an individual's focus of attention with that of another and begins to develop within the first year of life. Delayed, or atypically developing, JA is an early behavioral sign of many developmental disabilities and so assessing JA in infancy can improve our understanding of trajectories of typical and atypical development. This scoping review identified the most common methods for assessing JA in the first year of life.

Digital phenotyping could help detect autism.

Researchers have developed a screening tool for autism that uses computer vision and machine learning to analyze autism-related behaviors – but greater reliability and robust validation will be needed if such tools are to be used in primary care settings.

Updates to the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) Research Agenda.

Introduction: Autistic individuals, now representing one in 36 individuals in the U.S., experience disproportionate physical health challenges relative to non-autistic individuals.

Contemporary Neuroscience Core Curriculum for Medical Schools.

Medical students need to understand core neuroscience principles as a foundation for their required clinical experiences in neurology. In fact, they need a solid neuroscience foundation for their clinical experiences in all other medical disciplines also because the nervous system plays such a critical role in the function of every organ system. Because of the rapid pace of neuroscience discoveries, it is unrealistic to expect students to master the entire field.

Early concerns in parents of infants at risk for autism.

Aim: To examine parental concerns about children at increased familial risk (i.e. high risk) of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early infancy.

Can a Community-Based Football Program Benefit Motor Ability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Pilot Evaluation Considering the Role of Social Impairments.

This non-randomised pilot study evaluated the impact of a community football program on motor ability in children aged 5-12 years with autism spectrum disorder. Sixteen children were evaluated at baseline-and-post attendance in a football program for a varied number of weeks and compared to 19 children engaging in treatment-as-usual. Primary analyses indicated a statistically significant increase in total MABC-2, aiming and catching, and balance scores for the intervention group, with no changes in scores in the comparison group.

Using Wearable Sensor Technology to Measure Motion Complexity in Infants at High Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Motor dysfunction has been reported as one of the first signs of atypical development in infants at high familial risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (HR infants). However, studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the nature of motor dysfunction and whether it can be predictive of later ASD diagnosis. This is likely because current standardized motor assessments may not identify subtle and specific motor impairments that precede clinically observable motor dysfunction.

Meta-Analysis Reveals Gait Anomalies in Autism.

Gait abnormalities are frequently reported in autism. The empirical literature, however, is characterized by inconsistent findings concerning which aspects of gait are affected. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize study findings that examined temporal and spatial (i.

The Neurodevelopmental and Motor Phenotype of SCA21 (ATX-TMEM240).

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 21 (SCA21/ATX-TMEM240) is a rare form of cerebellar ataxia that commonly presents with motor, cognitive, and behavioral impairments. Although these features have been identified as part of the clinical manifestations of SCA21, the neurodevelopmental disorders associated with SCA21 have not been well studied or described. Here we present extensive phenotypic data for 3 subjects from an SCA21 family in the United States.

Attracting neurology's next generation: A qualitative study of specialty choice and perceptions.

Objectives: To better understand the reasons medical students select or avoid a career in neurology by using a qualitative methodology to explore these factors, with the long-term objective of attracting more graduates to the field.

Methods: In 2017, 27 medical students and 15 residents participated in 5 focus groups, and 33 fourth-year medical students participated in semistructured individual interviews. Participants were asked predefined open-ended questions about specialty choice, experiences in their basic neuroscience course and neurology clerkship, and perceptions about the field.

Quantitative Gait Analysis in Duplication 15q Syndrome and Nonsyndromic ASD.

Motor impairments occur frequently in genetic syndromes highly penetrant for autism spectrum disorder (syndromic ASD) and in individuals with ASD without a genetic diagnosis (nonsyndromic ASD). In particular, abnormalities in gait in ASD have been linked to language delay, ASD severity, and likelihood of having a genetic disorder. Quantitative measures of motor function can improve our ability to evaluate motor differences in individuals with syndromic and nonsyndromic ASD with varying levels of intellectual disability and adaptive skills.

Behavioral characterization of dup15q syndrome: Toward meaningful endpoints for clinical trials.

Duplication of 15q11.2-q13.1 (dup15q syndrome) is one of the most common copy number variations associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID).

Characteristics of graduating US allopathic medical students pursuing a career in neurology.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with medical students becoming neurologists because, despite the increasing burden of neurologic disorders, there is a growing neurologist shortage.

Methods: Deidentified data from the Association of American Medical Colleges Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ) and Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) were obtained for the graduation years 2013 to 2014 through 2016 to 2017. Logistic regression was used to assess demographic characteristics and responses to training and career-related questions in association with specialty choice (intent to enter neurology).

What's missing in autism spectrum disorder motor assessments?

Background: Motor delays and impairments in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are extremely common and often herald the emergence of pervasive atypical development. Clinical accounts of ASD and standardized measures of motor function have identified deficits in multiple motor domains. However, literature describing frequently used standardized motor assessments in children with ASD, their test properties, and their limitations are sparse.