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Common features between autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and cancer have been discerned using methodologies from a number of disciplines, including genetics, bioinformatics and epidemiological studies. To understand such apparent overlaps between these two conditions and the mechanisms that may underlie these linkages, it is important to look at their multi-level systems context. Here we discuss ASDs and cancer linkages across levels ranging from genes to pathways and systems, as well as from the vantage points of mechanism and of clinical and epidemiological studies. Review of existing findings yielded evidence that ASDs and cancer overlap extensively in signal transduction pathways that are involved in metabolic processes. We hypothesize that further studies focusing on illuminating the relationships between ASDs and cancer, specifically with regard to signaling pathways that regulate metabolic activities, could help shed new insight on these conditions and develop treatment strategies that, by targeting underlying mechanisms, may be more efficient and effective for both conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the relation between fractional anisotropy (FA), a suggested biomarker for tissue integrity, and motor recovery in patients with stroke after postacute rehabilitation. Design Retrospective study. Setting Acute rehabilitation hospital. Participants Subjects (N=43) diagnosed with ischemic stroke (n=28) and hemorrhagic stroke (n=15). The average age for subjects was 68±14 years. Interventions Magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were conducted on all patients. Main Outcome Measures The admission and discharge motor subscores of the FIM were obtained from medical records, and relative gain was calculated using the Montebello Rehabilitation Factor Score (MRFS). K-means cluster analysis (K=3) using both the MRFS and the gain of the FIM motor subscore (ΔFIM) was performed. Analysis of variance was used to determine the difference in FA among the clusters. Spearman analysis was conducted to examine the relation between FA, ΔFIM, and MRFS in each cluster. Results FA was significantly higher in the clusters of good and moderate recovery in the corticospinal tract (CST), peduncle, and posterior limb of the internal capsule bilaterally (all P <.05) compared with the poor recovery group. Significant positive correlations were observed in multiple regions along the CST between FA, ΔFIM, and MRFS in the clusters of good and moderate recovery, but not in the poor recovery group. Conclusions Our results showed an association between FA values within the corticospinal tract and motor recovery in patients with stroke undergoing postacute rehabilitation. This finding may help to identify novel targets for new interventions to promote stroke recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Motor stereotypies are defined as patterned, repetitive, purposeless movements. These stigmatizing motor behaviors represent one manifestation of the third core criterion for an Autistic Disorder (AD) diagnosis, and are becoming viewed as potential early markers of autism. Moreover, motor stereotypies might be a tangible expression of the underlying neurobiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder. In this study, we videoscored stereotypies recorded during semi-structured play sessions from school age children with AD. We examined the effect of severity and persistence over time of stereotypies on brain volumetric changes. Our findings confirmed that the brain volume of school age children with AD is, on average, larger than that of age-matched typically developing children. However, we have failed to detect any sign of volumetric differences in brain regions thought to be particularly linked to the pathophysiology of stereotypies. This negative finding may suggest that, at least with respect to motor stereotypies, functional rather than structural alterations might be the underpinning of these disruptive motor manifestations of autism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain data provide a valuable tool for detecting structural differences associated with various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Analysis of such data, however, is not always straightforward, and complications can arise when trying to determine which brain structures are “smaller” or “larger” in light of the high degree of individual variability across the population. Several statistical methods for adjusting for individual differences in overall cranial or brain size have been used in the literature, but critical differences exist between them. Using agreement among those methods as an indication of stronger support of a hypothesis is dangerous given that each requires a different set of assumptions be met. Here we examine the theoretical underpinnings of three of these adjustment methods (proportion, residual, and analysis of covariance) and apply them to a volumetric MRI data set. These three methods used for adjusting for brain size are specific cases of a generalized approach which we propose as a recommended modeling strategy. We assess the level of agreement among methods and provide graphical tools to assist researchers in determining how they differ in the types of relationships they can unmask, and provide a useful method by which researchers may tease out important relationships in volumetric MRI data. We conclude with the recommended procedure involving the use of graphical analyses to help uncover potential relationships the ROI volumes may have with head size and give a generalized modeling strategy by which researchers can make such adjustments that include as special cases the three commonly employed methods mentioned above. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Basal ganglia (BG) enlargement has been found in studies of adults with bipolar disorder (BPD), while the few studies of BPD youths have had mixed findings. The BG (caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens) is interconnected with limbic and prefrontal cortical structures and therefore may be implicated in BPD. Methods: Sixty-eight youths (46 with BPD, 22 healthy controls) received neurological and psychiatric assessment, semi-structured interviews, and neuropsychological testing, followed by anatomic magnetic resonance imaging on a 1.5 Tesla scanner. After image segmentation, log BG volumes and asymmetry indices were analyzed using MANOVAs controlling for the effects of cerebral volume, age, sex, and diagnosis. These omnibus tests were followed by univariate linear regression models of each BG structure. Results: Youths with BPD had a trend for larger right nucleus accumbens (NA) volumes (p = 0.089). There were no significant group asymmetry differences, nor volume differences in the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. When analyzed separately by pubertal status, the prepubertal group had significantly larger total NA (p = 0.035) versus healthy controls, while the pubertal group did not show significant differences in the NA versus healthy controls. Limitations: The size of the control group is relatively small, possibly limiting our power to detect significant group differences. The inter-rater reliability for the NA is not as strong as the other structures; the finding of volume differences in this structure is preliminary and warrants replication. Conclusions: Youths with BPD had larger right NA volumes; this enlargement was most pronounced in the prepubertal group. The differences between these findings and those seen in adult BPD imply a neurodevelopmental phenomenon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]