Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

The aim of the questionnaire and semi structured interview was to understand how the Covid 19 pandemic has impacted the cardiovascular health, physical activity levels, sedentary behavior, sleep, anxiety levels and eating habits of children with ASD in comparison to before the pandemic.

Deviation of hormone formation within nerve cells and nerve system provides autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopment retardation through interaction of steroids with neurotransmitter-receptors, calcium-channel receptors and genomic interaction via nuclear steroid receptors. Urinary steroid metabolites will be compared between children with autism spectrum disorder and healthy controls.

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the level of stress and quality of life in parents of children with developmental disabilities (Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, cerebral palsy) and parents of children chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus type 1, epilepsy, asthma) compared to parents of healthy children. The investigators will analyze the level of stress, quality of life, self-esteem, optimism, resilience, happiness, stigmatization, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, parenting challenges and some physiological indicators of the stress such as level of cortisol and heart rate variability. Also, the investigators will measure Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) in the skin. The investigators assume that parents of children with developmental disabilities and chronic diseases have higher level of stress and lower quality of life compared to the parents of healthy children.

The proposed project will be first performed on individuals with HF-ASD with their expected heterogeneity and healthy control (HC) subjects in order to explore the pain processing and modulation mechanisms underlying the pain sensitivity profile of adults with HF-ASD. Secondly, we will focus on individuals with ASD and HC, without ASR (ASD-nonASR, HC-nonASR) and with SHR (ASD-SHR, HC-SHR). This 2X2 factorial design will enable us to determine whether the feature of SHR in individuals with HF-ASD contributes to pain sensitivity. This research project will comprise of two sessions. Session I will include the following tests ADOS-2 for ASD diagnosing (only for individuals with ASD), intelligence quotation testing (IQ Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence® - Second Edition (WASI®-II)107, serving for inclusion criteria. Session II will include familiarization with the researchers and lab, thermal detection threshold testing for small fiber abnormality identification since detection thresholds in some reports found to be abnormal pain threshold testing, and completion of questionnaires (see section 3.6 for details), psychophysical testing and EEG recordings in the following order: i) rEEG recordings; ii) psychophysical pain assessments; simultaneously with iii) neurophysiological pain assessments with pain EPs recorded. Our research protocol will be approved by the Helsinki Committee of the Rambam Health Care Center and The Chaim Sheba Medical Center.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex group of behavioral disorders characterized by defects in social interaction and communication associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors and activities. The prevalence in pediatric age is continuously increasing in Western countries (58-67 / 10,000). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5 (DSM-5) describes a worldwide population prevalence of approximately 1%. According to the latest data from the National Observatory for the monitoring of ASD, in Italy 1 child out of 77 (age 7-9 years) has the disease with a higher prevalence in males: males are affected 4.4 times more than females . The clinical manifestations of ASD are the result of complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and microbiological factors. Alterations in nutritional status, eating habits and adverse reactions to food appear to be more frequent in children with ASD. It is estimated that 46-89% of children with ASD have feeding problems which can include unusual eating patterns, rituals and food selectivity. These types of eating behaviors can lead to severe alterations in nutritional status. Furthermore, the data present in the literature concerning the eating habits of children with ASD suggest a high consumption of "junk food" and foods rich in calories together with a refusal of fruit, vegetables or proteins. These data suggest that the dietary and behavioral problems frequently present in these children could favor a condition of obesity. Finally, a high percentage of children with ASD undergo elimination diets, characterized by exclusions of foods relevant to the diet of a child such as milk and gluten to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Such elimination diets are only rarely supervised by a nutritionist with further consequences on nutritional status.

Children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to react abnormally to social stimuli, especially to human faces. Children and youth with ASD show less interest in social stimuli, and may even avoid looking at or interact with such stimuli. It has been proposed that social stimuli elicit reactions like fear and stress in individuals with ASD, and this explains the lack of interest and avoidance. The present project investigates this hypothesis.

Using Virtual Reality and Robotics Technologies for Vocational Evaluation, Training and Placement (VR4VR) is a project that incorporates Virtual Reality into job training to increase job opportunities for people who have physical or mental disabilities. The investigators are using Virtual Reality and robotics for job evaluation, training and placement of people with disabilities. The investigators' goal is to assess and train people in a safe, adaptable, and fun virtual environment similar to a video game. This is an interventional study with three target populations: autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, and severe mobility and manipulation impairments. The prototype system allows for a wide range of environments with the vocational evaluator easily controlling the virtual experience, while the job seekers interact realistically.

This single-center, observational study is being conducted to identify a well-characterized subgroup within the ASD patient population, based on clinical symptoms and biosample analysis.

This observational study aims to identify human microbiome determinants of the symptoms associate with ASD as well as identify the human microbiome determinants of the success of FMT (fecal matter transplant) therapy and to develop a statistical model that can improve FMT donor-recipient matching. Participants are recruited through NovelBiome only, this study will NOT utilize other clinical sites.

Single patient with ASD will be treated with Vancomycin followed by FMT.