Efficacy of DKEFS in executive function on patients with ASD

Background and Aim: This paper reports the findings of working on autistic children and their improvements in executive functions with using Delis Kaplan executive function system (DKEFS). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an abnormality with difficulties in communication and repetitive behaviors. The symptoms appear before the age of three. Genetic and environmental factors can affect on this disorder. In this study we want to improve executive functions in autistic people. Delis Kaplan executive function system (DKEFS) is a neuropsychological test for executive functions and consists of nine kinds of tests with scoring. The DKEFS is a comprehensive assessment of higher level thinking and cognitive flexibility. The important component of executive functions mediates primarily the frontal lobe. DKEFS is a new measure designed to assess multiple domains of EF within a single test battery and was designed for clinical use to assess mild brain damage in general and mild frontal-lobe in particular. In this study we used around ۱۰۰۰ autistic patients and ۱۰۰۰ normal case to compare these two groups and understand the differences between expressions of their genes. At first step we used psychological test and for next step we used Electroencephalography (EEG) then we got blood test of them then we extract RNA and after that we made CDNA and we used real time PCR to study two families of genes Neurexin (NRXN) and Neuroligin (NLGN). Neurexin is a protein on the pre synaptic membrane and Neuroligin is a protein on the post synaptic membrane. After these steps we used DKEFS as a treatment for autistic children for ۶ month. After six month we repeated the blood test and other steps again and we compared the results with normal cases. The different expression in these genes between pretest and posttest can show that our treatment can affect on improving executive functions in autistic children. Although the differences between EEG before the test and after the test can show these results too. Other results are discussed in the context.

کلیدواژه ها:

DKEFS ، Austim ، executive functions ، improve