Lisa Ouss

Bio: Lisa Ouss is an academic researcher from Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital. The author has contributed to research in topics: Autism & Autism spectrum disorder. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 34 publications receiving 267 citations. Previous affiliations of Lisa Ouss include University of Paris & French Institute of Health and Medical Research.

Association between suicide behaviours in children and adolescents and the COVID-19 lockdown in Paris, France: a retrospective observational study.

Abstract: This retrospective observational study conducted in Necker Hospital for Sick Children, France (January 2018–June 2020) evaluated a potential temporal association between admissions for suicide behaviours in children and adolescents and the national COVID-19 lockdown (March–May 2020). During the study period, 234 patients were admitted for suicide behaviours (28% male; mean age 13.4 years). Using Poisson regression, we found a significant decrease in the incidence of admissions for suicide behaviour during the lockdown (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.46; 95% CI 0.24 to 0.86). This association might result from reduced help-seeking and decreased hospital admission rates during the lockdown, as well as cognitive and environmental factors. Further multicentre studies should be conducted to confirm these findings and investigate whether a compensatory rise in admissions for suicide behaviour occurred in the postlockdown period.

Infant's engagement and emotion as predictors of autism or intellectual disability in West syndrome.

Abstract: West syndrome (WS) is a rare epileptic encephalopathy with early onset and a high risk of autistic outcome. The PreAut grid assesses this risk following WS onset by taking into account synchrony and emotion in interactions and by evaluating the baby’s active desire to engage in pleasant interactions (especially the infant’s early active behaviors that encourage being gazed at or kissed by the mother or to share joy with her). We followed a sample of 25 WS patients prospectively from disease onset and assessed whether the PreAut grid before 9 months, and the checklist for autism in toddlers (CHAT) at 18 and 24 months predicted autism or intellectual disability (ID) outcomes at 4 years. We found that the PreAut grid at 9 months (sensitivity = 0.83; specificity = 1) had similar prediction parameters as the CHAT at 18 months (sensitivity = 0.90; specificity = 0.83) and 24 months (sensitivity = 0.92; specificity = 1). WS patients with a positive PreAut screening at 9 months had a risk of having autism or ID at 4 years, which is 38 times that of children with a negative PreAut grid [OR = 38.6 (95 % CI 2.2–2961); p = 0.006]. We conclude that the PreAut grid could be a useful tool for the early detection of autism or ID risk in the context of WS. Further research is needed to assess the PreAut grid in other contexts (e.g. infants at high-risk for non-syndromic autism).

Cortical Auditory-Evoked Responses in Preterm Neonates: Revisited by Spectral and Temporal Analyses.

Abstract: Characteristic preterm EEG patterns of "Delta-brushes" (DBs) have been reported in the temporal cortex following auditory stimuli, but their spatio-temporal dynamics remains elusive. Using 32-electrode EEG recordings and co-registration of electrodes' position to 3D-MRI of age-matched neonates, we explored the cortical auditory-evoked responses (AERs) after 'click' stimuli in 30 healthy neonates aged 30-38 post-menstrual weeks (PMW). (1) We visually identified auditory-evoked DBs within AERs in all the babies between 30 and 33 PMW and a decreasing response rate afterwards. (2) The AERs showed an increase in EEG power from delta to gamma frequency bands over the middle and posterior temporal regions with higher values in quiet sleep and on the right. (3) Time-frequency and averaging analyses showed that the delta component of DBs, which negatively peaked around 550 and 750 ms over the middle and posterior temporal regions, respectively, was superimposed with fast (alpha-gamma) oscillations and corresponded to the late part of the cortical auditory-evoked potential (CAEP), a feature missed when using classical CAEP processing. As evoked DBs rate and AERs delta to alpha frequency power decreased until full term, auditory-evoked DBs are thus associated with the prenatal development of auditory processing and may suggest an early emerging hemispheric specialization.

Autism spectrum disorder and cognitive profile in children with Dravet syndrome: Delineation of a specific phenotype.

Abstract: Objective We aimed to assess a cohort of young patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) for intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using standardized tools and parental questionnaires to delineate their specific profiles. Methods We included 35 patients with DS aged 24 months to 7 years, excluding patients with a developmental age (DA) <18 months (n = 5). We performed specific tests adapted for ID (Psychoeducational Profile, Third Edition [PEP-3]), in addition to the Child Development Inventory (CDI) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) questionnaires. We used 2 standardized tools for ASD: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). We compared the with parental questionnaires and the VABS-II, and with ASD characteristics. Results PEP-3 subscales showed pathologic development in all but one patient (97%): ID in 23 of 30 (77%), and borderline cognitive functioning in 6 of 30 (22%). Eleven patients (39%) had ASD and 2 (7%) had a Social Communication Disorder (SCD) diagnosis. We found no difference between PEP-3 and CDI categorization except for fine motor skills. We found significant negative correlations between ADOS-2 and PEP-3 for the majority of scores. For patients aged older than 50 months, 2 groups emerged (ASD/no ASD) with significant difference in DA. The logistic regression for ASD diagnosis explained by VABS-II showed a significant effect for Socialization, Motor Skills, and Adaptive Behavior. Significance We found a high prevalence of ID in patients with DS. ID is characterized by expressive and comprehensive communication deficits in addition to visuospatial difficulties. ASD showed a specific profile with a relative preservation of social skills, emphasizing a possible underdiagnosis. Parental questionnaires can provide a good assessment of cognitive profile and might allow the difficulty of addressing cognitive scales in DS to be overcome. The profile of ID and ASD should help to establish early adapted rehabilitation programs and emphasizes the global need for care beyond seizures in DS and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies.

Emotions evoked by the sound of music: Characterization, classification, and measurement.

Abstract: One reason for the universal appeal of music lies in the emotional rewards that music offers to its listeners. But what makes these rewards so special? The authors addressed this question by progressively characterizing music-induced emotions in 4 interrelated studies. Studies 1 and 2 (n 354) were conducted to compile a list of music-relevant emotion terms and to study the frequency of both felt and perceived emotions across 5 groups of listeners with distinct music preferences. Emotional responses varied greatly according to musical genre and type of response (felt vs. perceived). Study 3 (n 801)—a field study carried out during a music festival—examined the structure of music-induced emotions via confirmatory factor analysis of emotion ratings, resulting in a 9-factorial model of music-induced emotions. Study 4 (n 238) replicated this model and found that it accounted for music-elicited emotions better than the basic emotion and dimensional emotion models. A domain-specific device to measure musically induced emotions is introduced—the Geneva Emotional Music Scale.

Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD

Abstract: JOHN P. WILSON AND TERENCE M. KEANE, EDS.: Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD. Guilford Press, New York, 1997, 575 pp, $55.00, ISBN 1-57230162-7. The recent impressive expansion of our clinical knowledge about PTSD and psychological trauma has been paralleled by a progressive introduction of a variety of self-report measures, each one with its own emphasis and relative specificity. The array of assessment instruments related to various psychological traumas and posttrauma disorders has become overwhelming if not confusing. The need for a reference book in this area was acute and crucial not only for clinicians but also for researchers. The editors have thoughtfully addressed this issue by bringing together a group of experts who have covered all the important aspects of psychological assessment in this field. The book is divided into three main areas of assessment, each addressing a particular area of psychological trauma. The first area covers standardized measures and physiological techniques related to PTSD and child-abuse effects in adults supported by a chapter on physiological assessments and another one on psychometric theory explanatory of the degree of validity of the tests. It will be unrealistic to discuss the strength and weakness of each one of the 20 standardized tests already evaluated by the contributing authors. However, an issue affecting all these tests seems to be the questionable validity of attempting by the testdevelopers to objectify the subjective answers of the clients-patients. Like in all self-report measures, there is a subjective bias which may falsify the responses, though it may measure the degree of severity of clinical symptoms, if the specific trauma is documented independently of the client. (Trauma symptom checklist -40) Another problem with these tests is that, while they have been developed based on relatively small samples, they have not been validated against the general population. As noticed by the authors, the validation of these tests is not quite documented in terms of the discriminative validity of the PTSD measures versus other measure constructs. The second group of articles reviews the standardized assessment of the traumatic reaction among victims and survivor populations. The articles included here assess a wide variety of psychological trauma from life-threatening medical illness to bereavement, marital strife with physical aggression, child abuse or combat-related stress trauma. They empirically evaluate the impact of a particular natural or human-induced stressor on people subjected to it, without telling us why some are affected more than others or not at all. …

Why synchrony matters during mother-child interactions: a systematic review.

Abstract: Background: Assessment of mother-child interactions is a core issue of early child development and psychopathology. This paper focuses on the concept of “synchrony” and examines (1) how synchrony in mother-child interaction is defined and operationalized; (2) the contribution that the concept of synchrony has brought to understanding the nature of mother-child interactions. Method: Between 1977 and 2013, we searched several databases using the following key-words: « synchrony » « interaction » and « mother-child ». We focused on studies examining parent-child interactions among children aged 2 months to 5 years. From the 63 relevant studies, we extracted study description variables (authors, year, design, number of subjects, age); assessment conditions and modalities; and main findings. Results: The most common terms referring to synchrony were mutuality, reciprocity, rhythmicity, harmonious interaction, turn-taking and shared affect; all terms were used to characterize the mother-child dyad. As a consequence, we propose defining synchrony as a dynamic and reciprocal adaptation of the temporal structure of behaviors and shared affect between interactive partners. Three main types of assessment methods for studying synchrony emerged: (1) global interaction scales with dyadic items; (2) specific synchrony scales; and (3) micro-coded time-series analyses. It appears that synchrony should be regarded as a social signal per se as it has been shown to be valid in both normal and pathological populations. Better mother-child synchrony is associated with familiarity (vs. unknown partner), a healthy mother (vs. pathological mother), typical development (vs. psychopathological development), and a more positive child outcomes. Discussion: Synchrony is a key feature of mother-infant interactions. Adopting an objective approach in studying synchrony is not a simple task given available assessment tools and due to its temporality and multimodal expression. We propose an integrative approach combining clinical observation and engineering techniques to improve the quality of synchrony analysis.

Emotion Induction After Direct Intracerebral Stimulations of Human Amygdala

Abstract: Very few studies in humans have quantified the effect obtained after direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala, in terms of both emotional and physiological responses. We tested patients with drug-resistant partial epilepsies who were explored with intracerebral electrodes in the setting of presurgical evaluation. We assessed the effects of direct electric stimulations in either the right or the left amygdala on verbally self-reported emotions (Izard scale) and on psychophysiological markers of emotions by recording skin conductance responses (SCRs) and by measuring the electromyographic responses of the corrugator supercilii (EMGc). According to responses on Izard scales, electrical stimulations of the right amygdala induced negative emotions, especially fear and sadness. In contrast, stimulations of the left amygdala were able to induce either pleasant (happiness) or unpleasant (fear, anxiety, sadness) emotions. Unpleasant states induced by electrical stimulations were accompanied by an increase in EMGc activity. In addition, when emotional changes were reported after electrical stimulation, SCR amplitude for the positively valenced emotions was larger than for the negative ones. These findings provide direct in vivo evidence that the human amygdala is involved in emotional experiences and strengthen the hypothesis of a functional asymmetry of the amygdala for valence and arousal processing.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on child and adolescent mental health: systematic review.

Abstract: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, resulting in many countries worldwide calling for lockdowns. This study aimed to review the existing literature on the effects of the lockdown measures established as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. Embase, Ovid, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and pre-print databases were searched in this PRISMA-compliant systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42021225604). We included individual studies reporting on a wide range of mental health outcomes, including risk and protective factors, conducted in children and adolescents (aged ≤ 19 years), exposed to COVID-19 lockdown. Data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted by independent researchers, and results were synthesised by core themes. 61 articles with 54,999 children and adolescents were included (mean age = 11.3 years, 49.7% female). Anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms were common in the included studies and ranged 1.8–49.5% and 2.2–63.8%, respectively. Irritability (range = 16.7–73.2%) and anger (range = 30.0–51.3%), were also frequently reported by children and adolescents. Special needs and the presence of mental disorders before the lockdown, alongside excessive media exposure, were significant risk factors for anxiety. Parent–child communication was protective for anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in psychological distress and highlighted vulnerable groups such as those with previous or current mental health difficulties. Supporting the mental health needs of children and adolescents at risk is key. Clinical guidelines to alleviate the negative effects of COVID-19 lockdown and public health strategies to support this population need to be developed.