Effect of probiotics combined with applied behavior analysis in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder: a prospective randomized controlled trial
LI Yu-Qin, SUN Ying-Hong, LIANG Ya-Peng, ZHOU Fan, YANG Jie, JIN Sheng-Li
Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China (Email: yqli1314@163.com)
Abstract Objective To study the effect of probiotics combined with applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods A total of 41 children with ASD who attended the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from May 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled and randomly divided into an observation group with 21 children and a control group with 20 children. The children in the observation group were given oral probiotics combined with ABA intervention, while those in the control group were given ABA intervention alone. The treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups. Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used to evaluate the severity of behavioral symptoms in both groups before intervention and at 3 months after intervention. The fecal samples were collected to analyze the difference in intestinal flora between the two groups based on 16s rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results Before intervention, there was no significant difference in the ATEC score between the observation and control groups (P>0.05). At 3 months after intervention, both groups had a significant reduction in the ATEC score, and the observation group had a significantly lower ATEC score than the control group (P<0.05). Before intervention, there was no significant difference in the composition of intestinal flora between the observation and control groups. At 3 months after intervention, there was a significant difference in the composition of intestinal flora between the observation and control groups. Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly higher relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Coprobacillus, Ruminococcus, Prevotella, and Blautia (P<0.05) and significantly lower relative abundances of Shigella and Clostridium (P<0.05). Conclusions Probiotics may improve the effect of conventional ABA intervention in children with ASD by regulating intestinal flora. Citation:
LI Yu-Qin,SUN Ying-Hong,LIANG Ya-Peng et al. Effect of probiotics combined with applied behavior analysis in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder: a prospective randomized controlled trial[J]. CJCP, 2021, 23(11): 1103-1110.
LI Yu-Qin,SUN Ying-Hong,LIANG Ya-Peng et al. Effect of probiotics combined with applied behavior analysis in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder: a prospective randomized controlled trial[J]. CJCP, 2021, 23(11): 1103-1110.
Mahapatra S, Khokhlovich E, Martinez S, et al. Longitudinal epidemiological study of autism subgroups using Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) score[J]. J Autism Dev Disord, 2020, 50(5): 1497-1508. PMID: 30062397. PMCID: PMC7211200. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3699-2.
Stanislaw H, Howard J, Martin C. Helping parents choose treatments for young children with autism: a comparison of applied behavior analysis and eclectic treatments[J]. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract, 2020, 32(8): 571-578. PMID: 31738275. DOI: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000290.
Schrenzel J, Lazarevic V. Intestinal microbiota: towards therapeutic applications[J]. Rev Med Suisse, 2017, 13(582): 1959-1961. PMID: 29120545.
Pulikkan J, Maji A, Dhakan DB, et al. Gut microbial dysbiosis in Indian children with autism spectrum disorders[J]. Microb Ecol, 2018, 76(4): 1102-1114. PMID: 29564487. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1176-2.
Averina OV, Danilenko VN. Human intestinal microbiota: role in development and functioning of the nervous system[J]. Mikrobiologiia, 2017, 86(1): 5-24. PMID: 30207138.
Lammert CR, Frost EL, Bolte AC, et al. Cutting edge: critical roles for microbiota-mediated regulation of the immune system in a prenatal immune activation model of autism[J]. J Immunol, 2018, 201(3): 845-850. PMID: 29967099. PMCID: PMC6057827. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1701755.
Port RG, Gaetz W, Bloy L, et al. Exploring the relationship between cortical GABA concentrations, auditory gamma-band responses and development in ASD: evidence for an altered maturational trajectory in ASD[J]. Autism Res, 2017, 10(4): 593-607. PMID: 27696740. PMCID: PMC5376374. DOI: 10.1002/aur.1686.
Pequegnat B, Sagermann M, Valliani M, et al. A vaccine and diagnostic target for Clostridium bolteae, an autism-associated bacterium[J]. Vaccine, 2013, 31(26): 2787-2790. PMID: 23602537. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.04.018.
Lobzhanidze G, Japaridze N, Lordkipanidze T, et al. Behavioural and brain ultrastructural changes following the systemic administration of propionic acid in adolescent male rats. Further development of a rodent model of autism[J]. Int J Dev Neurosci, 2020, 80(2): 139-156. PMID: 31997401. DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10011.
WANG Hui-Min, LIU Chuan-He, LIU Chang-Shan, WANG Ying, HAN Zhi-Ying, SUN Xin, CHEN Xing, AN Shu-Hua, DUOLIKUN Muzhapaer, LU Ai-Ping, WANG Min, CHENG Yan, YIN Xiao-Mei, LIU Han-Min, WANG Hong, HUA Shan, DONG Li, HUANG Ying, JIANG Yi, XIONG Jian-Xin, DING Sheng-Gang, ZHAO Shun-Ying, WANG Jin-Rong, HUANG Gui-Min, MU Jing-Hui, CHEN Yu-Zhi. Efficacy of Huaiqihuang granules as adjuvant therapy for bronchial asthma in children: a real-world study[J]. CJCP, 2021, 23(9): 877-881.