Assessing Irritability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Affective Reactivity Index

Measuring Irritability in Early Childhood: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Affective Reactivity Index in a Clinical Sample of 3- to 8-Year-Old Children

“…To varying degrees, irritability is a normative part of child development, although in more chronic and severe forms, irritability presents as a highly impairing and transdiagnostic clinical concern (Althoff et al, 2010; Brotman et al, 2006; Copeland et al, 2015; Leibenluft, 2017; Roy & Comer, 2020; Stringaris & Goodman, 2009; Vidal-Ribas et al, 2016; Wakschlag et al, 2015). In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and International Classification of Diseases, irritability is explicitly included as a symptom in the definitions of a wide range of mental disorders—such as generalized anxiety disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, major depression (in children and adolescents), bipolar disorder, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder—and has been linked with several other disorders, including the full spectrum of anxiety disorders (Cornacchio et al, 2016; Shimshoni et al, 2020), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Nigg et al, 2020), conduct disorders (Stringaris et al, 2009; Stringaris & Goodman, 2009), and autism spectrum disorder (Kalvin et al, 2020).…”

Intranasal Oxytocin in Pediatric Populations: Exploring the Potential for Reducing Irritability and Modulating Neural Responses: A Mini Review

“…Irritability is a major manifestation of ASD, occurring in an estimated 43% of pediatric ASD patients, including those classified as high-functioning [ 45 ]. Similarly, irritability has also been found to be a clinical phenotype of youths with PWS [ 46 ] and PMS [ 47 ].…”

“…Studies have found connections between OXT receptor (OXTR) polymorphism and impaired social functioning [ 49 – 51 ], which is a hallmark feature of ASD and suggests that OXTR dysfunction may contribute to the ASD phenotype. In addition to social deficits, youth with ASD also have high prevalence of irritability and emotional dysregulation [ 45 , 52 ]. Mikita et al [ 53 ] found that in boys aged 10–16, those with high-functioning ASD were recorded to have significantly higher levels of cortisol and greater heart rate variability during stressful situations compared to control, suggesting that irritability could be considered as a measure of symptom severity in ASD patients.…”

“…Mikita et al [ 53 ] found that in boys aged 10–16, those with high-functioning ASD were recorded to have significantly higher levels of cortisol and greater heart rate variability during stressful situations compared to control, suggesting that irritability could be considered as a measure of symptom severity in ASD patients. Proposed reasons for this symptom include frustration stemming from difficulty communicating thoughts, interruption of repetitive behaviors and exposure to adverse sensory experiences [ 45 ].…”

Prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Feature Selection and Machine Learning Algorithms

“…The cause of autism spectrum conditions is uncertain [3]. Risk aspects embrace having an older parent, a domestic antiquity of autism, and definite genetic situations.…”