Illustration by Laurène Boglio

Guillaume Cabanac, creator of the Problematic Paper Screener, has flagged several autism-related studies that contain tortured phrases — strange paraphrases of established terms — on PubPeer:

• A survey on early prediction of autism spectrum disorder using supervised machine learning methods (This paper was retracted earlier this month because of its tortured phrases.)
• An improved early detection method of autism spectrum anarchy using Euclidean Method
• MOD-DHGN for autism segmentation
• Identification of autism in MR brain images using deep learning networks
• Basic education for autistic children using interactive video games
• EEG-based computer-aided diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
• Smart virtual reality-based gaze‐perceptive common communication system for children with autism spectrum disorder
• A machine learning approach to predict and classify the levels of autism spectrum disorder
• Automated chatbots for autism spectrum disorder using Al assistance
• EEG analysis for predicting early autism spectrum disorder traits

Dorothy Bishop of the University of Oxford also commented on the last paper: “This paper makes very little sense and appears to be a typical AI gobbledegook Sandwich. The account of EEG methods is unlike anything I have ever seen before.”

In a Twitter thread, Emilie Wigdor of the Wellcome Sanger Institute described her team’s new preprint, “Investigating the role of common cis-regulatory variants in modifying penetrance of putatively damaging, inherited variants in severe neurodevelopmental disorders,” posted 25 April on medRxiv.

Our new pre-print “Investigating the role of cis-eQTLs in modifying the penetrance of putatively damaging, inherited variants in severe neurodevelopmental disorders” (NDDs) is up on medRxiv! Three interesting findings led to this study: (1/12)https://t.co/geFTh2sJPt

— Emilie Wigdor (@EmilieWigdor) April 26, 2023

Kaitlin Samocha of Massachusetts General Hospital and Jack Kosmicki of Harvard University commented on Wigdor’s tweet.

Great to see this work out by @EmilieWigdor digging into the question of if cis-eQTLs are modifying penetrance of rare, inherited variation in developmental disorders.

Read the thread and preprint for more details! https://t.co/b4raTdKIyx

— Kaitlin Samocha (@ksamocha) April 26, 2023

Great paper by @EmilieWigdor and co. examining whether cis-eQTLs modify penetrance of rare, inherited variation in developmental disorders!

In contrast to what others found in ASD and cancer, it doesn’t appear to be the case here (although it may just be a power issue). https://t.co/GUCE4XE4KD

— Jack Kosmicki (@jakphd) April 27, 2023

Yvonne Wren of the University of Bristol and Clare Smith of the Academy of Research and Improvement weighed in on “The association between atypical speech development and adolescent self-harm,” published 20 April in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

Children with persistent #SSD at age 8 are twice as likely to report self-harm with suicidal intent in adolescence.
Findings from the ALSPAC study@CO90s @CSDRNetwork @DrJanMcAllister @suelizstone https://t.co/bWNkx2UsIp

— Dr Yvonne Wren (@yvonnewren) April 25, 2023

Great study highlighting relationship between communication & mental health. A clear case for investment in speech & language therapy & for targeting resources towards effective interventions for those that need it the most. @HIOW_ICS @SolentNHSTrust @HCPortsmouth @solentacademy https://t.co/HVjm8INkAk

— Dr Clare Smith (@clarrysmith) April 26, 2023

Simon Baron-Cohen of the University of Cambridge tweeted a link to Spectrum’s article “U.S. study charts changing prevalence of profound and non-profound autism.”

The huge increase in autism diagnosis mainly comes from autism without learning (intellectual) disability. (Setting aside the terminology of ‘profound’ vs ‘non-profound’ autism which is not widely accepted) https://t.co/kY9PdLl5fz Newsletters via @Spectrum

— Simon Baron-Cohen (@sbaroncohen) April 22, 2023

Candice Chi-Hang Cheung of the University of Potsdam and Salah Basheer of King’s College London replied to Baron-Cohen’s tweet.

For those who are interested in the terminology ‘profound’ autism, @AutismScienceFd could provide the relevant information.

See, for example: https://t.co/QPxdbBoIzk#Autism #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance

— Dr. Candice Chi-Hang Cheung (@CandiceCheung12) April 23, 2023

The lower levels of autism without intellectual disability in lower socioeconomic groups may be related partly to less recognition and scaffolding by the family. https://t.co/3Woc0VK6ij

— Salah Basheer (@salahbasheer) April 24, 2023

That’s it for this week’s Community Newsletter! If you have any suggestions for interesting social posts you saw in the autism research sphere, feel free to send an email to [email protected].

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Cite this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/GKIS9819