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Research
Parent-Child Interactions May Help to Explain Relations Between Parent Characteristics and Clinically Observed Child Autistic BehavioursThe importance of supporting parent-child interactions has been noted in the context of prodromal autism, but little consideration has been given to the possible contributing role of parental characteristics, such as psychological distress. This cross-sectional study tested models in which parent-child interaction variables mediated relations between parent characteristics and child autistic behaviour in a sample of families whose infant demonstrated early signs of autism.
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Characterising the Early Presentation of Motor Difficulties in Autistic ChildrenThis study aimed to explore the rates of motor difficulties in children from the Australian Autism Biobank, and how early motor concerns impacted on children functionally.
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Modelling quality of life in children with intellectual disability using regression treesTo identify factors associated with quality of life (QoL) in children with intellectual disability. We aimed to identify patterns of association not observable in previous hypothesis-driven regression modelling using the same data set from a cross-sectional observational study.
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Age of Diagnosis for Co-occurring Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During Childhood and Adolescence: a Systematic ReviewEarly identification and intervention are recognised as important elements of the clinical pathway for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be diagnosed at a different age than children who only have one of these diagnoses.
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Autism-related dietary preferences mediate autism-gut microbiome associationsThere is increasing interest in the potential contribution of the gut microbiome to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous studies have been underpowered and have not been designed to address potential confounding factors in a comprehensive way.
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Genetic counseling as preventive intervention: toward individual specification of transgenerational autism riskAlthough autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most heritable of all neuropsychiatric syndromes, most affected children are born to unaffected parents. Recently, we reported an average increase of 3-5% over general population risk of ASD among offspring of adults who have first-degree relatives with ASD in a large epidemiologic family sample.
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The effect of functioning on Quality of Life Inventory-Disability measured quality of life is not mediated or moderated by parental psychological distressThe measurement of quality of life (QOL) in children with intellectual disability often relies upon proxy report via caregivers. The current study investigated whether caregiver psychological distress mediates or moderates the effects of impairment on their ratings of QOL in children with intellectual disability.
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Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypesBirth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order. The present study investigated the potential association between birth order and ASD diagnostic phenotypes in a large and representative population sample.
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Pre-emptive intervention versus treatment as usual for infants showing early behavioural risk signs of autism spectrum disorderA pre-emptive intervention for the autism spectrum disorder prodrome had no immediate treatment effect on early autism spectrum disorder symptoms
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Vitamin D is crucial for maternal care and offspring social behaviour in ratsThese data highlight that early life levels of vitamin D are an important consideration for maternal behavioural adaptations as well as offspring neuropsychiatry
News & Events
Drug find could represent big win for our little patientsDr Rishi Kotecha knows too well the devastation of a leukaemia diagnosis in a child, treating children as a consultant at Princess Margaret Hospital.
News & Events
New funding to tackle undiagnosed diseases and improve cancer immunotherapyOne of the researchers who helped crack the code of 10-year-old Northam girl Charlotte Patterson’s incredibly rare disease has received State Government funding that will allow her to use the same methods to rapidly assess the cases of hundreds more patients living with undiagnosed disease.
News & Events
Brain Cancer Awareness Month Q&A: Dr Hetal Dholaria’s vital work for WA KidsEach year in Australia, around 120 children are diagnosed with brain cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related death in young people.
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Incidence and survival for childhood cancer by endorsed non-stage prognostic indicators in AustraliaNick Gottardo MBChB FRACP PhD Head of Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology and Haematology, Perth Children’s Hospital; Co-head, Brain Tumour Research
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“If you build it, they will come”: the convergence of funding, research and collaboration in paediatric brain cancer clinical trialsEach year, approximately 1000 children in Australia and New Zealand, aged 0–14 years, are diagnosed with cancer. Despite paediatric cancer accounting for less than 1% of all cancer cases, the impact on their families and communities is profound and disproportionate.
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In their own words: advice from parents of children with cancerApproximately 770 children are diagnosed with cancer in Australia every year. Research has explored their experiences and developed recommendations for improving support provided to families. These have included the provision of psychology services, improved communication between healthcare professionals and parents, and increased information for families.
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Radiographic and visual response to the type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in children with relapsed/refractory optic pathway glioma in the FIREFLY-1 trialDue to their anatomical locations, optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) can rarely be cured by resection. Given the importance of preserving visual function, we analyzed radiological and visual acuity (VA) outcomes for the type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib in the OPG subgroup of the phase 2 FIREFLY-1 trial.
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Comments and Controversies in Oncology: The Tribulations of Trials Developing ONC201Our international team highlights issues with efficacy reports in several studies on DMG with the new drug ONC201.