Download PDF
Nervenheilkunde 2023; 42(06): 332-341
DOI: 10.1055/a-2022-0301
Editorial

Babys und Bildschirme: Realer oder virtueller Autismus?

Manfred Spitzer
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Zusammenfassung

Autismus ist eine durch genetische und umweltbedingte Faktoren verursachte Störung der Gehirnentwicklung im frühen Kindesalter. Es gibt verschiedene Schweregrade, von leichten sozialen Defiziten (manchmal in Kombination mit besonderen Fähigkeiten wie Kopfrechnen oder eidetischem Vorstellungsvermögen) bis hin zur schweren geistigen Behinderung und lebenslanger deutlicher Beeinträchtigung. In den letzten 50 Jahren ist die Prävalenz von Autismus von einem Fall auf 5000 auf einen Fall von 44 Kindern exponentiell gestiegen. Für dieses Phänomen wurden mehrere Ursachen vorgeschlagen – von einer Ausweitung des Krankheitskonzepts und einer Zunahme des Wissens über und Bewusstseins für die Krankheit bis hin zu einer tatsächlichen Zunahme der Störung, die durch die Elternschaft in einem späteren Alter verursacht wird. Experten sind sich jedoch einig darüber, dass etwa die Hälfte dieses dramatischen Anstiegs – um mehr als das 100-Fache – ungeklärt ist. Ausgehend von den jüngsten Beobachtungen eines Zusammenhangs zwischen der frühen Nutzung von Bildschirmmedien und der Entwicklung autistischer Symptome wird hier argumentiert, dass ein zentrales Merkmal der heutigen Umwelt von Kleinkindern, die digitalen Bildschirmmedien, den gemeldeten Anstieg der Prävalenz mit erklären könnte.



Publication History

Article published online:
31 May 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York

 

  • Literatur

  • 1 Alhujaili N, Platt E, Khalid-Khan S. et al Comparison of Social Media Use Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Non-ASD Adolescents. Adolesc Health Med Ther 2022; 13: 15-21
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Anonymus. Professor Sir Michael Rutter 1933–2021. Kings College, London, News Centre, 26.10.2021. www.kcl.ac.uk/news/professor-sir-michael-rutter-1933-2021 abgerufen am 6.2.2022
    Google Scholar
  • 3 Asperger H. Das psychisch abnorme Kind. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift 1938; 51 (49) 1314-1317
    Google Scholar
  • 4 Asperger H. Die „Autistischen Psychopathen“ im Kindesalter. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten 1944; 117: 73-136
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Bailey A, Palferman S, Heavey L. et al Autism: the phenotype in relatives. J Autism Dev Disord 1998; 28: 369-392
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Cardy RE, Dupuis A, Anagnostou E. et al Characterizing Changes in Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic School Closures in Canada and Its Perceived Impact on Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12: 702774 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.702774.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Chonchaiya W, Sirachairat C, Vijakkhana N. et al Elevated background TV exposure over time increases behavioural scores of 18-months-old toddlers. Acta Paediatrica 2015; 104: 1039-1046
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Cohen I. An artificial neural network model of autism. Biological Psychiatry 1994; 36: 5-20
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Crespi B, Badcock C. Psychosis and autism as diametrical disorders of the social brain. Behav Brain Sci 2008; 31: 241-261
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Czech H. Der Kinderarzt und die Nazis. In: Autismus verstehen. Was die Forschung heute weiß. Gehirn und Geist Dossier 2021: 78-83
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 DiCarlo GE, Wallace MT. Modeling dopamine dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder: From invertebrates to vertebrates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 133: 104494 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.017.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Dong H-Y, Feng J-Y, Wang B. et al Screen Time and Autism: Current Situation and Risk Factors for Screen Time Among Pre-school Children With ASD. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12: 675902
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Dong H-Y, Wang B, Li H-H. et al Correlation Between Screen Time and Autistic Symptoms as Well as Development Quotients in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12: 619994
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Elton A, Di Martino A, Hazlett HC. et al Neural Connectivity Evidence for a Categorical-Dimensional Hybrid Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80 (02) 120-128
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Fitzpatrick C, Harvey E, Cristini E. et al Is the Association Between Early Childhood Screen Media Use and Effortful Control Bidirectional? A Prospective Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2022; 13: 918834 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.918834.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Folstein S, Rutter M. Infantile Autism: a Genetic Study of 21 Twin Pairs. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1977; 18: 297-321
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Frazier TW, Strauss M, Klingemier EW. et al A Meta-Analysis of Gaze Differences to Social and Nonsocial Information Between Individuals With and Without Autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 56: 546-555
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Frith U.. Asperger and his syndrome. In: Frith (Hrsg.). Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Cambridge: University Press; 1991
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Germann J, Gouveia FV, Brentani H. et al Involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11 (01) 21168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00603-0.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Geschwind DH, Levitt P. Autism spectrum disorders: Developmental disconnection syndromes. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2007; 17: 103-111
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Grzadzinski R, Amso D, Landa R. et al Pre-symptomatic intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD): defining a research agenda. J Neurodev Disord 2021; 13: 49 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-021-09393-y.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Gwynette MF, Sidhu SS, Ceranoglu TA. Electronic Screen Media Use in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2018; 27: 203-219
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Halladay AK, Bishop S, Constantino JN. et al Sex and gender differences in autism spectrum disorder: summarizing evidence gaps and identifying emerging areas of priority. Molecular Autism 2015; 06: 36 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0019-y.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Harlé B. Intensive early screen exposure as a causal factor for symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder: The case for «Virtual autism». Trends in Neuroscience and Education 2019; 17: 100119
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Harlé B. Intensive early screen exposure as a causal factor for symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder: The case for «Virtual autism». Trends Neurosci Educ 2019; 17: 100119 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2019.100119.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Hazlett HC, Gu H, Munsell BC. et al Early brain development in infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorder. Nature 2017; 542: 348-351
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Hazlett HC, Poe M, Gerig G. et al Magnetic resonance imaging and head circumference study of brain size in autism: birth through age 2 years. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005; 62: 1366-1376
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Hazlett HC, Poe MD, Gerig G. et al Early brain overgrowth in autism associated with an increase in cortical surface area before age 2 years. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2011; 68: 467-476
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Healy S, Garcia JM, Haegele JA. Environmental Factors Associated with Physical Activity and Screen Time Among Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50: 1572-1579
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Jones W, Klin A. Attention to eyes is present but in decline in 2–6 month-old infants later diagnosed with autism. Nature 2013; 504: 427-431
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Just M, Cherkassky V, Keller T. et al Cortical activation and synchronization during sentence comprehension in high-functioning autism: evidence of underconnectivity. Brain 2004; 127: 1811-1821
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Kana RK, Libero LE, Moore MS. Disrupted cortical connectivity theory as an explanatory model for autism spectrum disorders. Phys Life Rev 2011; 08: 410-437
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Kanner L. Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child 1943; 02: 217-250
    Google Scholar
  • 34 Kanner L. Follow-up study of eleven autistic children originally reported in 1943. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia 1971; 01: 119-149
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Krishnan V, Krishnakumar P, Gireeshan VK. et al Early Social Experience and Digital-Media Exposure in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Indian J Pediatr 2021; 88: 793-799
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Kushima M, Kojima R, Shinohara R. et al Association Between Screen Time Exposure in Children at 1 Year of Age and Autism Spectrum Disorder at 3 Years of Age: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study. JAMA Pediatr 2022; 176: 384-391
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Lee JJ, McGue M, Iacono WG. et al The causal influence of brain size on human intelligence: Evidence from within-family phenotypic associations and GWAS modeling. Intelligence 2019; 75: 48-58
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Lorenzini L, van Wingen G, Cerliani L.. Atypically high influence of subcortical activity on primary sensory regions in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102839
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Madigan S, Browne D, Racine N. et al Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test. JAMA Pediatr 2019; 173: 244-250
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Maenner MJ, Shaw KA, Bakian AV. et al Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality weekly Report. 2021: 3
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Maximo JO, Kana RK. Aberrant “deep connectivity” in autism: A cortico-subcortical functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging study. Autism Res 2019; 12: 384-400
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Minio-Paluello I, Porciello G, Pascual-Leone A. et al Face individual identity recognition: a potential endophenotype in autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11: 81 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00371-0.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Montes G. Children with autism spectrum disorder and screen time: results from a large, nationally representative US study. Acad Pediatrics 2016; 16: 122-128
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Just MA. et al Functional and anatomical cortical underconnectivity in autism: evidence from an FMRI study of an executive function task and corpus callosum morphometry. Cereb Cortex 2007; 17 (04) 951-61
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 Moore SA. et al Adverse Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Movement and Play Behaviours of Children and Youth Living with Disabilities: Findings from the National Physical Activity Measurement (NPAM) Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18: 12950 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182412950.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Pietrobelli A, Pecoraro L, Ferruzzi A. et al Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Lifestyle Behaviors in Children with Obesity Living in Verona, Italy: A Longitudinal Study. Obesity 2020; 28: 1382-1385
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Pietschnig J, Penke L, Wicherts JM. et al Meta-analysis of associations between human brain volume and intelligence differences: How strong are they and what do they mean?. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 57: 411-432
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 48 Qin F, Song Y, Nassis GP. et al Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Emotional Well-Being during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17: 5170 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145170.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Radesky JS, Silverstein M, Zuckerman B. et al Infant self-regulation and early childhood media exposure. Pediatrics 2014; 133 (05) e1172-8 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-2367.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 Redcay E, Courchesne E. When is the brain enlarged in autism? A meta-analysis of all brain size reports. Biol Psychiatry 2005; 58: 1-9
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Rutter M. Incidence of autism spectrum disorders: Changes over time and their meaning. Acta Paediatrica 2005; 94: 2-15
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Schijns OEMG, Koehler PJ. Adolf Meyer: the neuroanatomist and neuropsychiatrist behind Meyer’s loop and its significance in neurosurgery. Brain 2020; 143: 1039-1044
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 53 Schirmer B. Autismus und NS-Rassengesetze in Österreich 1938: Hans Aspergers Verteidigung der »autistischen Psychopathen« gegen die NS-Eugenik. Die neue Sonderschule 2002; 47: 460-464
    Google Scholar
  • 54 Shan L, Feng J-Y, Wang T. et al Prevalence and Developmental Profiles of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children With Global Developmental Delay. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12: 794238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.794238.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 55 Shen MD, Nordahl CW, Young GS. et al Early brain enlargement and elevated extra-axial fluid in infants who develop autism spectrum disorder. Brain 2013; 136: 2825-2835
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 56 Slobodin O, Heffler KF, Davidovitch M. Screen Media and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2019; 40: 303-311
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 57 Spitzer M. Mediennutzung in Zeiten von Corona. Nervenheilkunde 2020; 39: 698-703
    Article in Thieme ConnectGoogle Scholar
  • 58 Spitzer M.. Geist im Netz. Heidelberg: Spektrum; 2016
    Google Scholar
  • 59 Spitzer M. Psychologie und Pandemie. Die Auswirkungen des Corona-Virus auf den Einzelnen und auf die Gesellschaft. Nervenheilkunde 2020; 39: 274-283
    Article in Thieme ConnectGoogle Scholar
  • 60 Spitzer M. Autismus: Kindheit – Krankheit – Menschheit. Nervenheilkunde 2022: 40
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 61 Spitzer M. Digitalisierung in Kindergarten und Grundschule schadet der Entwicklung, Gesundheit und Bildung von Kindern. Kommentar zum Gutachten der Ständigen Wissenschaftlichen Kommission der KMK vom 19.9.2022. Nervenheilkunde 2022; 41: 797-808
    Article in Thieme ConnectGoogle Scholar
  • 62 Spitzer M. Smartphones, Babys, Kleinkinder und Kinder im Jahr 2021. Kinder- und Jugendmedizin 2022; 22: 377-380
    Article in Thieme ConnectGoogle Scholar
  • 63 Sztainberg Y, Zoghbi HY. Lessons learned from studying syndromic autism spectrum disorders. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19: 1408-1417
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 64 Thapar A, Rutter M. Genetic Advances in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51: 4321-4332
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 65 The World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF. The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery. Washington DC, Paris, New York: The World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF, 2021
  • 66 Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Reduced Local and Increased Long-Range Functional Connectivity of the Thalamus in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29: 573-585
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 67 Volkmar FR, McPartland JC. From Kanner to DSM-5: autism as an evolving diagnostic concept. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2014; 10: 193-212
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 68 Wedge M.. Screen Time and Autism. A connection that we can no longer ignore. Psychology Today, 13.12.2021. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/suffer-the-children/202112/screen-time-and-autism abgerufen am 5.2.2022
    Google Scholar
  • 69 Weintraub K. Autism counts. Nature 2011; 479: 22-24
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 70 Wen TH, Cheng A, Andreason C. et al Large scale validation of an early-age eye-tracking biomarker of an autism spectrum disorder subtype. Sci Rep 2011; 12: 4253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08102-6.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 71 Williams ZJ, Suzman E, Woynaroski TG. Prevalence of Decreased Sound Tolerance (Hyperacusis) in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. Ear Hear 2021; 42: 1137-1150
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 72 Wing L. Asperger’s syndrome. A clinical account. Psychological Medicine 1981; 11: 115-129
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 73 Wong ASK. Prolonged Screen Exposure During COVID-19 — The Brain Development and Well-Being Concerns of Our Younger Generation. Front Public Health 2021; 09: 700401 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.700401.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 74 Xiang M, Zhang Z, Kuwahara K. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents’ lifestyle behavior larger than expected. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2020; 63: 531-532
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 75 Zimmerman FJ, Christakis DA, Meltzoff AN. Television and DVD/video viewing in children younger than 2 years. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007; 161 (05) 473-9
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 76 King M, Bearman P. Diagnostic change and the increased prevalence of autism. Int J Epidemiol 2009; 38 (05) 1224-34
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 77 King MD, Bearman PS. Socioeconomic Status and the Increased Prevalence of Autism in California. Am Sociol Rev 2011; 76 (02) 320-346
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 78 Xie Y, Xu Z, Xia M. et al Alterations in Connectome Dynamics in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Harmonized Mega- and Meta-analysis Study Using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange Dataset. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91 (11) 945-955
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar