2,311 research outputs found
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Differences in Autistic and Nonautistic Youth
No full textResearch comparing physiological differences in Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia between Autistic and Nonautistic adolescents in an ecologically valid setting.Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) represents the activity of the vagus nerve and is an indicator of parasympathetic activity. Low levels of RSA at rest indicate blunted parasympathetic activity. Porges’ Polyvagal Theory suggests that vagus nerve activity is linked to one’s ability to regulate their physiological states and social behaviors (Porges, 2007). Many studies have shown that there is a difference in RSA values between autistic and nonautistic individuals, which is thought to be connected to weakened stress responses and a decreased ability to adapt in social situations (Cheng, 2020). While these studies have shown that these two groups differ at rest, many of them lacked ecological validity as they were conducted in a laboratory setting. Thus, our research question aimed to answer if there are differences in RSA at baseline between autistic and non autistic adolescents in a more ecologically valid setting using data collected in participants' homes. Twenty-two (11 autistic, 11 nonautistic) youth,Mage 12.9 years (SD=0.85) participated in the current study. Participants were asked to wear a Zephyr Bioharness and biomodule that gathered physiological data including heart rate and breathing rate for around 10 minutes for 1-3 timepoints in a home setting. We then processed the data into RSA values. Using an independent sample t-test, we found that there were significant differences in RSA values between the two groups. Specifically, autistic adolescents were found to have lower RSA during at-home baselines relative to the nonautistic group (t=3.247, p= <0.01). Our study produced similar results as previous research, but in a more ecological setting.Research reported in this publication was supported by a pilot grant from the UMD Brain and Behavior Institute to Dr. Yarger and a National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award number R01MH125370 to Dr. Redcay. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH
Intersectionality of Race, Autism, and Anxiety in Marginalized Youth
No full textThe prevalence of anxiety in marginalized (i.e., non-White) populations has been largely overlooked in literature. Autistic research and its focus on comorbidities with anxiety are mostly focused on White youth and their families (Malone et al., 2022). These gaps in literature are often due to an overrepresentation of White individuals in studies and a lack of wide scale Non-White studies. This may be due to systematic disparities that marginalized populations often face. Research geared towards non-White populations is
vital in creating a better understanding of their life experiences and how to treat their diagnoses. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety in non-White adolescents relative to White adolescents, and to examine the intersectionality with autistic diagnoses and experiences of discrimination. The Anxiety Scale for Children- ASD (ASC-ASD; Rodgers et al., 2016) scale was used to assess anxiety and the Everyday Discrimination Scale (Williams et al., 1997) was used to capture experiences of discrimination. Participants were 30 adolescents (12 Non-Hispanic White, 20 non-White), aged 11-14 years, and their parents. Results of an independent samples t-test indicated that marginalized autistic youth reported higher levels of anxiety in comparison to their non-White counterparts (p = 0.08). When evaluating whether experiences of discrimination moderated relations between race and anxiety, we found that the effect of discrimination varies by race, although not statistically significant (p = .13). Further, being a member of a marginalized group was associated with a 19.18-point increase in anxiety (holding experiences of discrimination constant)
Amygdala Volume and Social Reward in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder
No full textSocial interaction is a vital part of our everyday life and while there have been many studies that have helped elucidate both the neural components and extrinsic factors of these processes, it is still something that is not completely understood. This is especially relevant to those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as they are often characterized as having social processing deficits. Social cognition is one of the many functions associated with the limbic system, along with reward and emotion processing. Previous studies have shown that social interaction is rewarding and has been shown to activate regions in the limbic system (Warnell et al., 2017). The amygdala is a region included in social/reward circuitry within the limbic system, such that larger amygdala volumes have been associated with higher connectivity within these regions (Bickart et al., 2012). There have not been previous studies to our knowledge assessing how amygdala volume and social reward sensitivity may vary together, motivating the current study. Therefore, this study aims to assess how social reward relates to amygdala volume in 49 children (ASD = 21, TD = 31) aged 8 to 14 with and without a diagnosis of ASD. Social reward will be assessed using the Prosocial Interactions and Sociability subscales of the Social Reward Questionnaire (SRQ; Foulkes et al., 2014). Amygdala volumes were extracted using MRICloud (Mori et al., 2016). Amygdala size and SRQ subscale differences between groups will be analyzed using an analysis of covariance (controlling for total gray matter) and an independent samples t-test, respectively. A regression analysis will be conducted in order to examine amygdala and SRQ associations.University of Maryland; National Institute of Mental Health, Grant/Award Number R01-MH10744
sj-docx-1-aut-10.1177_13623613241238269 – Supplemental material for Smiling synchronization predicts interaction enjoyment in peer dyads of autistic and neurotypical youth
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-aut-10.1177_13623613241238269 for Smiling synchronization predicts interaction enjoyment in peer dyads of autistic and neurotypical youth by Kathryn A McNaughton, Alexandra Moss, Heather A Yarger and Elizabeth Redcay in Autism</p
sj-docx-1-aut-10.1177_13623613221103699 – Supplemental material for Theory of mind in naturalistic conversations between autistic and typically developing children and adolescents
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-aut-10.1177_13623613221103699 for Theory of mind in naturalistic conversations between autistic and typically developing children and adolescents by Diana Alkire, Kathryn A McNaughton, Heather A Yarger, Deena Shariq and Elizabeth Redcay in Autism</p
Discrepancies Between Parent- and Child-Reported Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth
No full textAnxiety is one of the most common co-occurring conditions in youth on the autism spectrum (ASD) and can manifest differently compared to non-ASD youth, making it difficult to identify anxiety in ASD youth. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED; Birhmaher et al., 1997) is a gold-standard measurement tool that aims to provide a dual-informed perspective of anxiety symptoms (Behrens et al., 2020). However, discrepancies between parent and child reports have been observed, suggesting a need for further analysis of whether discrepancies vary by diagnostic group (ASD or non-ASD). This study aimed to determine if discrepancies existed between parent- and self-reported anxiety symptoms and if there was a difference between diagnostic groups. Data were obtained from a larger study examining anxiety and heart rate variability in youth. Results of a correlation test showed that parent and child-reported anxiety symptoms scores were not statistically significantly correlated (r = 0.33, p = .07). An independent samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between parent-reported and child-reported anxiety symptoms (t = - 3.00, p = .01), such that parent anxiety symptom ratings were 7.4 points lower than child anxiety symptoms (95% CI [-13.33, -2.5]). There was a significant mean difference between the discrepancies for the ASD and non-ASD groups (t = -3.41, p = .001) with a higher rate of discrepancy in the non-ASD group (95% CI [-15.44, 0.07]). These results indicate that parents of non-ASD youth are more likely to underreport their child’s anxiety symptoms, while parents of ASD youth are more likely to align with their child’s report.Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award number K08MH133879 to Dr. Yarger. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH
Prevalence of Depressive and Loneliness Symptoms in ASD & Non-ASD Youth by Race
No full textAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with elevated depression rates, yet racial and ethnic disparities in mental health outcomes remain understudied. This study examined differences in depressive and loneliness symptoms among White, Non-Hispanic and Non-White adolescents with and without autism. As part of a larger study on anxiety and psychophysiology in autistic and nonautistic adolescents, we investigated whether depressive and loneliness symptom rates varied across groups. The sample included 34 adolescents (aged 11-14). Participants completed the Child Depression Inventory-2 (CDI-2; Kovacs, 2011) and the Asher Loneliness Scale (Asher & Wheeler, 1985), self-reporting their experiences over the past two weeks. Of note, lower scores on the Loneliness scale indicate more loneliness. Independent samples t-tests compared symptom severity between racial/ethnic groups. No differences between groups (i.e., Non-White, White Non-Hispanic) were identified regarding average depression scores (p = 0.27) or average loneliness scores (p = 0.27). Specifically, Non-White adolescents reported an average of 10.8 (SD = 5.6) on the depression scale whereas White, Non-Hispanic adolescents reported an average of 8.71 (SD = 4.86). White, Non-Hispanic adolescents reported an average of 58.6 (SD = 7.8) on the loneliness scale compared to Non-White Hispanic adolescents who reported an average of 54.7 (SD = 10.80). Although Non-White Hispanic individuals with and without ASD exhibited higher average depression symptom scores, further research is needed to determine whether systemic factors contribute to mental health disparities. Future studies should incorporate larger, more diverse samples and investigate socioeconomic and environmental influences on mental health outcomes among autistic youth.Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award number K08MH133879 to Dr. Yarger. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH
Discrepencies in Anxiety-Reporting in Autism: Correlating Self-Reports with RMSSD
No full textAnxiety is one of the most common co-occurring conditions in autistic youth. Anxiety can manifest differently in autistic compared to non-autistic populations, making it difficult to identify anxiety in autistic youth. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED; Birhmaher et al., 1997) is considered to be a gold-standard measurement tool that aims to provide a dual-informed perspective (Behrens et al., 2020). However, discrepancies between parent and child reports have been observed, suggesting a need for an objective indicator of anxiety such as low levels of heart rate variability, which can be quantified via root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). This research aimed to investigate the discrepancies between parent- and child-reported anxiety within an autistic and non-autistic sample and examine whether parent and/or child reports are more closely aligned with biological indicators of anxiety (i.e., low RMSSD). We hypothesized that there would be statistically significant discrepancies between the parent and child-reported anxiety symptoms, and that child-reported anxiety would more closely align with RMSSD values (a negative correlation). Participants included 44 adolescents (21 nonautistic, 23 autistic) aged 11-14 years old (Mage = 12.9 years) recruited from a larger study investigating associations between anxiety and heart rate variability. A paired-samples t-test revealed a significant difference between parent and child reported anxiety symptoms, t(43) = -3.22, p < .01, such that youth reported significantly higher anxiety (M = -7.84) than their parents. When utilizing a difference score between parent and child reported anxiety symptoms, an independent-samples t-test revealed a significant group difference, t(42) = 2.43, p = .02, such that the nonautistic group had a larger discrepancy between parent and child scores (M = 13.71) compared to the autistic group (M = 2.48). Finally, a trend toward a negative correlation between parent-reported anxiety symptoms and RMSSD values were observed, r = -.29, p = .06, and a significant correlation between child report and RMSSD value was found, r = .47, p = .02.Research reported in this poster was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award number K08MH133879 to Dr. Yarger. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH
The Times, They Are Changing
No full textIn 2015, Rutgers became only the second accredited law school in the United States to select the open-source ILS, Koha. The merger of two unique catalogs at Rutgers Law School has presented unique challenges with respect to migration mapping, data recall for large records, and relevancy ranking, all of which affect search results and usability of the OPAC. System migrations always result in some data being lost or incorrectly transferred. The hope is to minimize just how much data is compromised while fixing errors that might not have come to light but for the migration.Peer reviewe
Heather McHugh, 4th Annual ODU Literary Festival
No full textThe author of Dangers, published in 1978 in Houghton Mifflin\u27s New Poetry Series, and A World of Difference, also a Houghton Mifflin publication (1981), Heather McHugh is a rare poet, known for her formal elegance, her piercing wit, and her supple use of rhyme and rhythm. The Denver Quarterly remarked on her interest in seeing doubly and double-talking and praised her passionate intelligence and affection for the tongue\u27s intimate intricacies. McHugh\u27s Thursday evening reading will conclude the 1981 Literary Festival. McHugh grew up in Williamsburg and now teaches at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She is a member of the board of directors of the Associated Writing Programs
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