Protective factors against the emotional impact of the pandemic in adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID).

The pandemic has had very negative effects on the mental health of the population, especially in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). We analyzed whether social communication, quality of life, and anxiety explain changes in the emotional impact of the pandemic in 60 adults with ASD and ID. Correlations between the study variables were analyzed and subsequently a multiple regression analysis was performed. The results show that communication writing, leisure and well-being index, explain 31% of the dependent variable. The well-being index (PWI) contributes significantly to improving the fit of the model, as indicated by ß value. The remaining variables, communication writing and leisure socialization, do not contributed significantly to improving the fit of the model. Quality of life is the only variable that can explain changes in the emotional impact of the pandemic in the study population. This finding should guide future psychoeducational interventions and services for adults.

Challenging behaviors in adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: A differential analysis from a transdiagnostic approach.

This study aimed at analyzing the differences in challenging behaviors between adults with intellectual disability and ASD and those who only had intellectual disability, as well as to explore associations between transdiagnostic and clinical variables to these differences. Therapists and educators of 163 adults with intellectual disability (83 with additional ASD diagnosis) completed the test battery. Mean difference analysis and univariate analyses of covariance were performed to determine the impact of clinical variables and transdiagnostic variables on the frequency and severity of challenging behaviors. Results showed that adults with ASD and intellectual disability presented higher frequency and severity of these behaviors. A significant effect of the diagnosis of ASD on the frequency and severity of self-injuries and stereotypies was found. Also, some transdiagnostic variables influencing the presence of these behaviors were highlighted. These factors should be considered when planning and designing interventions for behavioral problems in this population.

The role of intellectual disability and emotional regulation in the autism-depression relationship.

LAY ABSTRACT: Many people with autism and intellectual disability have significant levels of depressive symptoms. However, this relationship is not clear. For this reason, knowing the factors that are associated with having depression in autism and intellectual disability is important. Emotion regulation is associated with depression in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. After evaluating a group of people with autism and intellectual disability, we found that people with mild intellectual disability have problems regulating their emotions which lead them to develop depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that interventions designed to prevent or reduce depressive symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorder and mild intellectual disability should include among their goals emotional regulation.

Does the gender matter?: Anxiety symptoms and emotion dysregulation in adults with autism and intellectual disabilities.

Research shows high rates of anxious symptoms in people autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Finding factors related to the development of anxiety in ASD is necessary. Emotion regulation (ER) is associated with anxiety in ASD. Moreover, some studies find higher rates of anxiety in women with ASD. A total of 121 adults (M = 35.46 years, SD = 9.46) with ASD and intellectual disabilities were evaluated to verify moderating role of gender and mediating role of ER. A moderated mediation analysis supported the moderated role of gender in the relationship mediated by emotional dysregulation between ASD and anxiety. These findings suggest that interventions designed to prevent or reduce anxiety symptoms in women with ASD should include among their goals emotional regulation. LAY SUMMARY: If we want to reduce or prevent anxiety symptoms in women with ASD we must work on emotional regulation.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Quarantine on Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability: A Longitudinal Study.

The impact of the pandemic is being very significant psychologically, especially for people who were already vulnerable in these aspects, such as adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID). A longitudinal analysis of motor aspects such as balance and gait, executive functions in daily life, severity of symptoms characteristic of autism, and degree of subjective well-being was performed in 53 adults with ASD and ID. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed and three measures were taken, the first in December 2019, the second in March 2020, and the last in July 2020. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in balance on the latter measure, along with a deterioration in well-being and ASD symptoms in the period of seclusion and an improvement in executive functions after seclusion.

Transdiagnostic Predictors of Impaired Recognition of Facial Emotion Expression in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

This study aims to evaluate the predictive capacity of executive dysfunction and social adaptation in performance in facial emotion recognition. The sample consisted of 31 adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The variables that maintain significant correlations with emotional perception were taken as independent variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of the facial stimuli perception in population with ASD. The results demonstrated a relationship between social maturity and emotional perception. Better scores in communication, socialization and daily life skills predict better performance in the perception of facial stimuli, both emotional and non-emotional.

Emotional dysregulation and uncertainty intolerance as transdiagnostic mediators of anxiety in adults with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: There is extensive documentation supporting the comorbidity of anxiety and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Transdiagnostic factors such as executive functions, emotion regulation, and uncertainty intolerance are associated with anxiety in ASD. AIM: The primary aim of this paper is to study anxiety symptoms in adults with ASD and ID and their relationship with transdiagnostic variables. METHOD: 121 adults (M = 35.46 years, SD = 9.46) with ASD and intellectual disabilities (ID) were evaluated to determine the predictive and mediating role of executive functioning, emotional regulation and intolerance to uncertainty. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear regression showed uncertainty intolerance was a predictor of anxiety. A multiple mediation analysis supported the mediating role of uncertainty intolerance and emotional regulation between ASD and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that interventions designed to reduce anxiety symptoms in people with ASD and ID should include among their goals emotional regulation and especially intolerance of uncertainty.

Effects of B-Active2 on Balance, Gait, Stress, and Well-Being of Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability: A Controlled Trial.

Effects of B-Active2 (Enjoy Being Physically Active by Walking Safely: A Leisure Education Program) on the risk of falls, stress, and well-being of a sample of 44 adults with ASD (ages M = 36.88; SD =7.31) were examined using a controlled experimental trial. Given the relationship between physical activity and stress reduction to individual well-being, B-Active2 was developed as a multidimensional program involving leisure education and walking designed to create an enjoyable context in which adults with ASD learn about and engage in physical activity. All participants were evaluated on balance, gait, well-being, and stress at baseline and at 1 month postintervention by a team of therapists blind to study objectives. There was a significant difference postintervention on balance, F(1, 40) = 55.63, p < .001, η2 = .58; gait, F(1, 40) = 23.58, p < .001, η 2 =.37; and well-being, F(1, 40) = 34.16, p < .001, η 2 = .47). No statistically significant effect was found for level of stress reduction, F(1, 40) = 0.27, n.s. Results of this study support the conclusion that B-Active2 is a viable leisure education program that promotes physical activity of adults with ASD and has positive effects on their well-being and risk of falls.

Executive functioning in people with personality disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes recent executive functions research to better delineate the nosology of personality disorders. RECENT FINDINGS: This review indicates that there are consistent impairments in executive functioning in people with personality disorders as compared with matched controls. Only five disorders were considered: borderline, obsessive-compulsive, antisocial, narcissistic, and schizotypal. Significant deficits are observed in decision-making, working memory, inhibition, and flexibility. Relevant data for the remaining personality disorders have not yet been published in relation to the executive functions. SUMMARY: People with personality disorders could present a pattern of neurocognitive alterations that suggest a specific impairment of the prefrontal areas. The executive dysfunctions could partially explain the behavioral alterations in people with personality disorders.Further research should adopt broader considerations of effects of comorbidity and clinical heterogeneity, include community samples and, possibly, longitudinal designs with samples of youth.

Executive functioning in people with obsessive-compulsive personality traits: evidence of modest impairment.

Investigations of executive dysfunctions among people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (OCPD) have yielded inconsistent results. The authors speculate that obsessive-compulsive personality traits (OCPT) from a nonclinical population may be associated with specific executive dysfunctions relative to working memory, attentional set-shifting, and planning. A sample consisting of 79 adults (39 females, 40 males) was divided into high and low scorers on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4; Hyler, 1994). In addition, these participants were interviewed using the SCID-II (First, Spitzer, Gibbon & Williams, 1997) to confirm the presence of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality. Participants completed a battery of executive tasks associated with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), including Spatial Working Memory, Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED), Attentional Set-Shifting, and Stockings of Cambridge. Also, self-report measures of executive functions as well as of anxiety and depressive symptoms were administered. The analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between participants with OCPT and controls on the Spatial Working Memory tasks, ID/ED tasks, Stockings of Cambridge, and the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the number of problems solved in minimum movements. These results suggest that executive dysfunctions are present in people with prominent OCPT and that there is a high convergence between clinical and ecological measures of executive functions in people with obsessive personality traits.

Developmental changes in decision making under risk: The role of executive functions and reasoning abilities in 8- to 19-year-old decision makers.

Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents often tend toward risky decisions despite explicit knowledge about the potential negative consequences. This phenomenon has been suggested to be associated with the immaturity of brain areas involved in cognitive control functions. Particularly, "frontal lobe functions," such as executive functions and reasoning, mature until young adulthood and are thought to be involved in age-related changes in decision making under explicit risk conditions. We investigated 112 participants, aged 8-19 years, with a frequently used task assessing decisions under risk, the Game of Dice Task (GDT). Additionally, we administered the Modified Card Sorting Test assessing executive functioning (categorization, cognitive flexibility, and strategy maintenance) as well as the Ravens Progressive Matrices assessing reasoning. The results showed that risk taking in the GDT decreased with increasing age and this effect was not moderated by reasoning but by executive functions: Particularly, young persons with weak executive functioning showed very risky decision making. Thus, the individual maturation of executive functions, associated with areas in the prefrontal cortex, seems to be an important factor in young peoples' behavior in risky decision-making situations.

Depressive mood, eating disorder symptoms, and perfectionism in female college students: a mediation analysis.

Although perfectionism has long been established as an important risk factor for depressive mood and eating disorders, the mechanisms through which this temperamental predisposition mediates the relationship between depressive mood and eating disorder symptoms are still relatively unclear. In this study we hypothesized that both perfectionism dimensions, self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism, would mediate the relationship between current symptoms of depression and eating disorders in a non-clinical sample of Spanish undergraduate females. Two hundred sixteen female undergraduate students of the University Complutense of Madrid (Spain) completed the Spanish versions of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), OBQ-44, and BDI-II and BAI. Results demonstrated the importance of socially prescribed perfectionism in mediation of the relationship between depressive mood and symptoms of eating disorders. Socially prescribed perfectionism mediates the relationship between depressive mood and eating disorder symptoms for female college students.

Trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad en el adulto: perspectivas actuales / Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adulthood: current perspectives

Objetivo: El propósito de este artículo es revisar los conocimientos actuales del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH) en el adulto. Desarrollo: Desde hace mucho tiempo, el TDAH se reconoce como una entidad bien definida en la infancia; sin embargo, sólo investigaciones recientes han señalado su continuación en la vida adulta. El TDAH se asocia a alteraciones y comorbilidad a lo largo de toda la vida. En este artículo, los autores describen las características clínicas del TDAH en el adulto. Los síntomas y las preocupaciones del adulto con TDAH son claramente diferentes de las del niño. Los adultos con TDAH son impulsivos, inquietos y presentan dificultades para mantener la atención, pero muchos presentan trastornos antisociales, depresivos y ansiedad. Los autores, además, revisan los conocimientos actuales sobre las bases neurobiológicas, los aspectos neuropsicológicos, las dificultades y las diferentes aproximaciones al diagnóstico del TDAH en el adulto y su tratamiento. El TDAH tiene un fuerte componente genético; su fisiopatología incluye la disfunción de los sistemas catecolaminérgicos, y la neuroimagen pone de manifiesto anomalías funcionales mesolímbicas y de los lóbulos frontales. La terapia psicosocial y farmacológica es necesaria para el tratamiento del TDAH. ConclusiÓn: Se precisa más investigaciones sobre el TDAH en la vida adulta y el desarrollo de criterios de diagnóstico más específicos

Aim: To examine current knowledge of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Development: ADHD has long been recognized as a well-defined disorder in children but its persistence into adulthood has only recently been supported by research. ADHD is associated with impairment and comorbidity throughout the life span. In this article we describe the clinical characteristics of ADHD in adults. ADHD symptoms in adults clearly differ from those in children. Adults are impulsive, inattentive and restless but many also suffer from antisocial, depressive and anxiety disorders. We review current knowledge of the neurobiological bases and neuropsychological aspects of this disorder, the difficulties of diagnosing adult ADHD ­as well as the different approaches used­, and treatment. ADHD has a strong genetic component. The pathophysiology of this disorder includes dysfunction of the catecholaminergic systems, while neuroimaging suggests abnormalities in the mesolimbic system and frontal lobes. The treatment of ADHD requires both psychosocial and pharmacological therapy. Conclusions: Further research on ADHD in adulthood and more specific diagnostic criteria are required

Dual-task performance in adults with autism.

INTRODUCTION: Based on previous evidence of executive function deficits in autism, it was hypothesised that people with autism would demonstrate a pattern of spared abilities on the slave system of working memory, although demonstrating an overt deficit of the central executive. METHOD: The performance of a group of adults with autism (n = 16) and that of a matched control group of healthy volunteers (n = 16) was compared over a range of executive tasks including dual-task performance. RESULTS: The results are broadly consistent with the initial hypothesis: the performance on the dual task of the people with autism was impaired with respect to that of the control group. However, no differences emerged between the two groups in the performance of individual components of the task. CONCLUSION: All executive tests used in this study predicted the inclusion in the autistic group but there was not a high correlation among executive scores.