Parental attitudes and beliefs about sexuality of individuals with intellectual disability: Insights from a Brazilian sample of parents of individuals with Williams syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The affective expression of sexual behaviour in individuals with Williams syndrome can lead to risky behaviours, especially if parents do not have information on how to provide sex education or support from specialised professionals. METHOD: The Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaire for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities was used to identify parental beliefs, attitudes and concerns about the sexuality and sex education of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The sample comprised 35 parents of individuals with Williams syndrome (mean age 12.8 years (SD = 4.5), 57.1% male). RESULTS: Parents believe in the possibility of marriage and sexual relationships for individuals with intellectual disability when they are older and agree with sexual reproduction in adulthood. Parents consider that sex education, in addition to parental guidance, should be provided by professionals. CONCLUSIONS: This data highlights the need for parents to have clear guidelines on interventions in respect of the sexuality of individuals with intellectual disability.

Associations between Inadequate Parenting Practices and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Children and adolescents with ADHD present behaviors such as impulsiveness, inattention, and difficulties with personal organization that represent an overload for parents. Moreover, it also increases their level of stress and leads them to resort to inadequate educational strategies. The present study verifies associations between inadequate parenting practices and behavioral profiles of children and adolescents with ADHD. The sample was composed of 22 children with ADHD (age range 6-16 years) and their mothers. Spearman correlation analyses were made with the scores of Parenting Style Inventory (PSI) and Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18). Results indicate statistically significant associations between behavioral problems and the use of punishment practices and negligence. When assessing a child with ADHD, it is important to verify the predominant types of parenting practices that can influence both immediate interventions and the prognosis of the disorder.

Preliminary psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the emotional outburst questionnaire.

This study focuses on the cross-cultural adaptation of the Emotional Outburst Questionnaire (EOQ) to Brazilian Portuguese and preliminarily assesses its predictive validity. The EOQ evaluates aspects of emotional outbursts (EO), including frequency, duration, intensity, types, associated behaviours, recovery time, triggers, and effectiveness of calming strategies. Two independent translators performed the translation, with subsequent synthesis and analysis revealing that only 33 items (24.81%) required revision. Among these, one item needed partial modification, and two needed total modification. The study demonstrated strong content validity and adaptation in terms of conceptual, idiomatic, and semantic aspects. The EOQ's predictive validity was assessed by analysing the interruption of mental health services in Brazil due to Covid-19 (T1) compared to when services resumed after social distancing measures were lifted (T2). Parents of 25 individuals with developmental disabilities (ASD, DS and ID), with a mean of 11 y/o, mostly male (76%), completed the EOQ. Service interruption during T1 led to increased frequency and duration of severe emotional outbursts reported by caregivers compared to T2 (frequency: p < .001; duration: p = 0.05). This suggests that the EOQ exhibits predictive validity and sensitivity to changes influenced by individual contexts. These findings highlight the EOQ's potential as an outcome measure for intervention development.

Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Contexts Associated with Emotional Outbursts.

The causal relationship between emotional outbursts and emotion dysregulation is proposed to be heterogeneous, but cultural influences have not been considered despite established cultural differences in emotional processes (e.g., increased motivation to suppress emotions in interdependent cultures). Responses to the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Emotional Outburst Questionnaire were collected from 327 caregivers of young people (6-25 years) with autism spectrum disorder, Down's syndrome, or intellectual disability. Responses were compared to a previous sample of 268 responses from the English version of the questionnaire. The latent factor structure of the contextual items was measurement invariant across both versions. The Brazilian responses were classified into three distinct clusters (Sensory Sensitivity; Perceived Safety; Perceived Unsafety) which considerably overlapped with the English clusters.

Association between ADHD symptoms and inhibition-related brain activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with deficits in inhibitory functions including interference control, inhibition of prepotent/automatic responses and suppression of already initiated responses. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the neural basis of these three forms of inhibition assessed by a recently developed behavioral protocol combining the Stroop-matching/stop-signal task in twenty-five young adults with inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity symptoms. The severity of ADHD symptoms was measured using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). The concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) was assessed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and temporoparietal regions (TP) during the Stroop-matching/stop-signal task. Correlations yielded significant associations between ASRS scores and HbO concentration in frontal regions during blocks with stop-signal tasks, namely the right IFG, the left DLPFC and the left IFG. This study revealed that different types of inhibition involve unique frontal and temporoparietal activities and linked frontal dysfunction during the suppression of ongoing responses to the severity of ADHD symptoms.

Health Problems in Individuals With PWS Are Associated With Lower Quality of Life for Their Parents: A Snapshot in the Brazilian Population.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder requiring interdisciplinary team monitoring and intensive care by parents. So far there is little information on people with PWS in Brazil. Our aim was to describe health problems and treatments used by people with PWS in Brazil and their relationship to their parents' quality of life. Parents answered questionnaires about their child's medical and exercise history, behavior problems, sociodemographic characteristics, and their own quality of life. Results: The responses of the participants showed similar health problems as in other countries. Anxiety and tantrums were the behavioral problems most commonly cited by parents. Parents of people with PWS had lower scores in respect of quality of life than the Brazilian population. Behavioral problems in individuals with PWS were negatively associated with their parents' quality of life. Behavioral and medical conditions in the children were associated with reduced quality of life in the parents. We conclude that heath care should not only be directed toward those with PWS, but also their parents.

Nationwide questionnaire data of 229 Williams-Beuren syndrome patients using WhatsApp tool.

BACKGROUND: Williams-Beuren syndrome is a multisystemic disorder caused by a microdeletion of the 7q11.23 region. Although familial cases with autosomal dominant inheritance have been reported, the vast majority are sporadic. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the main complaints and clinical findings of patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome. METHODS: A total of 757 parents of patients registered in the Brazilian Association of Williams-Beuren Syndrome (ABSW) received a questionnaire via WhatsApp from March to July 2017. RESULTS: In total, 229 parents answered the survey. Age of diagnosis ranged from 2 days to 34 years (median: 3 years). The main clinical findings reported by the parents were abdominal colic (83.3%), failure to thrive (71.5%), feeding difficulty in the first year (68.9%), otitis (56.6%), urinary tract infections (31.9%), precocious puberty (27.1%) and scoliosis (15.9%). Cardiac defects were present in 66% of patients, and the most frequent defect was supravalvular aortic stenosis (36%). Arterial hypertension was reported in 23%. Hypercalcemia was reported in 10.5% of patients, mainly during the first year of life. Hyperacusis and hypersociability were common complaints (both present in 89%). Other behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms reported by the parents included attention deficit (89%), anger crises (83%), excessive fear (66%), depression (64%), anxiety (67%) and hypersexuality (33%). The most common complaints were hypersensitivity to sounds, talkative personality, emotional dependence and learning difficulties. In 98.3%, the parents denied family history. CONCLUSIONS: Williams-Beuren syndrome requires close follow-up with different medical specialties due to their variable clinical comorbidities, including language and school learning difficulties, behavioral and psychiatric problems.

Social play impairment following status epilepticus during early development.

Neonatal status epilepticus (SE) disrupts prefrontal cortex and thalamus, brain regions related to social play. Juvenile play was evaluated using the "intruder-resident" paradigm following SE in 9-day-old Wistar pups of both genders. Quite interestingly, we demonstrated for the first time that neonatal SE produces social impairment in male rats, reduces locomotor activity in both genders and enhances self-grooming in female. Additional studies are necessary to clarify if these effects can impair social behavior across the life span.

Preliminary evidence of the validity process of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS): translation, cross-cultural adaptation and semantic equivalence of the Brazilian Portuguese version.

OBJECTIVES: To translate and back-translate the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) into Brazilian Portuguese, to assess its cross-cultural semantic equivalence, and to verify indicators of quality of the final version by analyzing the inter-rater reliability of the ADOS scores. METHODS: This study had three stages: 1) translation and back-translation; 2) semantic equivalence analysis; and 3) pre-test to verify the agreement between mental health specialists and an ADOS senior examiner regarding the scoring procedure. Authorization to translate and carry out the cultural adaptation of the instrument was first obtained from the Western Psychological Services, publishers of the instrument. RESULTS: The main preliminary results pointed to good equivalence between the original English version and the final version and the Brazilian version following the cultural adaptation process. Some semantic differences were found between the original version and the back-translation into English, but they did not interfere with the first translation into Portuguese or into the final version. One of the limitations of the study was the small sample size; for that reason, the inter-rater reliability of the ADOS scores between the specialists and the senior examiner using the kappa coefficient was adequate for 7 out of 10 areas. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the creation of an official Brazilian version of ADOS will help to strengthen clinical and scientific research into ASD, and deter the use of other unauthorized versions of ADOS in the country.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Motor Behavior Checklist (MBC) into Brazilian Portuguese.

INTRODUCTION: There are only a few instruments available to assess behavioral problems in school-age children based on reports of physical education teachers. The Motor Behavior Checklist (MBC) was designed to be completed by this professional in free play-situations or during physical education classes to rate students' motor-related behavior using 5-point Likert scales. The MBC comprises 59 items distributed into two broadband factors (externalizing and internalizing) and seven behavior problem scales: rule breaking, hyperactivity/impulsivity, lack of attention, low energy, stereotyped behaviors, lack of social interaction, and lack of self-regulation. The objective of this study was to describe the translation and cross-cultural adaptation processes of the MBC into Brazilian Portuguese. METHOD: The following procedures were conducted: forward translation of the original instrument, production of a synthesized version, back-translation, literal and semantic comparison, back-translator's evaluation of divergent items, synthesized version with back-translator's suggestions, clarity assessment of the synthesized version by professionals (physical education teachers), focus group to assess clarity indicators of the instrument, evaluation of adjustments by the author of the instrument, and production of the final version. RESULTS: The results indicated a satisfactory level of agreement between the original and the back-translated versions, with 68% of exact equivalence between the translated items and 16% of terms requiring minor adjustments. In the draft version, 84% of the items were evaluated as clear by physical education teachers. CONCLUSION: The translated version has compatible content with the original version. Future studies should be conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the MBC.

Electronic media use during COVID-19 pandemic: effects on the behavioral/emotional functioning of Brazilian children / Uso de mídia eletrônica durante a pandemia de COVID-19: efeitos no funcionamento comportamental/emocional de crianças brasileiras / Uso de medios electrónicos durante la pandemia COVID-19: efectos sobre el funcionamiento conductual/emocional de niños brasileños

During COVID-19 pandemic an increase electronic media (e-media) usage time was reported correlated to behavioral problems. This study verified the associations between e-media and behavioral/emotional problems in children in the context of the pandemic. Sample: Parents of 277 children aged 7-11 years old. Instruments: socioeconomic questionnaire; MAF-P and CBCL/6-18. Spearman's correlation analyses showed positive associations between the MAF-P and CBCL/6-18 scales. Adult games were correlated with 12 scales; websites for information/entertainment were associated with 6 scales, gambling online with one scale; electronic games and watching YouTube videos were associated with all 17 scales. In conclusion, overall, the results indicate the need of supervising children's e-media access considering the number and frequency of use and the elevated number of emotional and behavioral problems found among the evaluated group

Durante a pandemia da COVID-19 verificou-se aumento no tempo de uso de mídias eletrônicas (e-media) relacionado a problemas comportamentais. Este trabalho avaliou associações entre tempo de uso de e-media e problemas comportamentais/emocionais em crianças no contexto da pandemia. Contou com uma amostra de 277 responsáveis por crianças de 7-11 anos. Os instrumentos utilizados foram questionário socioeconômico, MAF-P e CBCL/6-18. As análises de correlação de Spearman apontaram associações positivas entre as e-media na MAF-P e escalas do CBCL/6-18. Os jogos adultos correlacionaram-se a 12 escalas; sites para informação/diversão foram associados a seis; apostar na internet a um; e jogos eletrônicos e ver vídeos no YouTube associaram-se a 17 escalas. Conclui-se, de modo geral, que os resultados indicam a necessidade de supervisão para acesso a e-media por crianças, considerando o número, a frequência de uso e o elevado número de problemas emocionais e comportamentais verificados no grupo estudado

Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, hubo un aumento en el tiempo dedicado al uso de medios electrónicos (e-media) relacionados con problemas de comportamiento. Este trabajo evaluó las asociaciones entre el tiempo de uso de los medios electrónicos y los problemas conductuales/emocionales en niños en el contexto de la pandemia. Muestra: 277 tutores de niños de 7 a 11 años. Instrumentos: socioeconómico, MAF-P y CBCL/6-18. Los análisis de correlación de Spearman mostraron asociaciones positivas entre los medios electrónicos en las escalas MAF-P y CBCL/6-18. Juegos para adultos correlacionados con 12 escalas; sitios de información/diversión asociados a 6; apostar en internet a las 1; los juegos electrónicos y ver videos en YouTube se asociaron con 17 escalas. Se concluye, en general, que los resultados indican la necesidad de supervisión para el acceso a e-media por parte de los niños, considerando el número y la frecuencia de uso y el elevado número de problemas emocionales y conductuales verificados en el grupo estudiado

Cognitive and behavioral profile of Williams Syndrome toddlers.

PURPOSE: To verify indicators of cognitive development, receptive language skills and adaptive behavioral patterns in toddlers with Williams syndrome (WS). METHODS: The sample comprised 8 children of both sex, aged between 48 and 72 months with WS. Instruments of data collection were Denver Developmental Screening Test II; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale; Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5and 6 to 18; Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS), and Behavior Problems Inventory-01. RESULTS: The major developmental impairments were associated with fine motor skills and personal care abilities. Deficits in receptive language and communication skills were reported according to the PPVT and Denver II, respectively. The caregivers reported behavioral and emotional problems associated to anxiety and depression, and attention problems scales of CBCL. CONCLUSION: The toddlers demonstrated deficits in adaptive functioning and behavioral, motor and cognitive difficulties such as inattention and hyperactivity, stereotypies and aggressive behavior.

A survey of women's social representations of aging and rejuvenation.

The goal of this work was to analyze the social representations that women of three different age groups had about aging, rejuvenating, and methods of rejuvenation. The research was performed in São Paulo between 2004 and 2005. The participants of this research were three groups of women of different ages: 19 to 24 years, 25 to 35 years, and over 60 years. The data were collected by the focus group technique. Data was analyzed using the lexical analysis software ALCESTE 4.5. The main results show a social representation of aging centered on losses and gains. The subjects appraised the possibility of using rejuvenating methods only when it was extremely necessary, because of the health risks that most of them involve. The three groups agreed about natural methods of rejuvenating instead of resorting to invasive methods.

Mismatch between diagnostic reports and special educational needs classification in a public educational system.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic status, the sociodemographic and health profiles for students with special educational needs (SEN) in a public educational system, and to map their use of educational/social services. METHODS: The sample comprised 1,202 SEN students from a total of 59,344 students. RESULTS: Only 792 students of the 1,202 had an established diagnosis. The most prevalent SEN condition was intellectual disability. There was a low percentage (29.4%) of use of specialized educational services or support. It was found that, for some neurodevelopmental disorders, prevalence data suggest an under-reporting in the school system. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that there is a mismatch between the diagnostic reports and the SEN condition legally recognized according to Brazilian law, in addition to the under-reporting and under specialized service use of students with disabilities.

Escrita em alunos com dificuldades de aprendizagem: Efeito Mateus / Writing in students with learning difficulties: Matthew effect

O estudo investigou a linguagem escrita de crianças do 2º e 4º anos com e sem sinais de transtorno específico de aprendizagem. Objetivou comparar as escritas entre dois os grupos de alunos, de modo a verificar se a diferença entre eles seria menor nas séries iniciais e tenderia a aumentar nas séries finais, como previsto teoricamente com base no efeito Mateus. Participaram do estudo 51 professores e 1085 alunos, sendo 49 indicados com sinais compatíveis com o transtorno específico de aprendizagem. O instrumento utilizado para analisar a escrita dos alunos foi o Teste de Desempenho Escolar (TDE-II). A partir das análises realizadas, observou-se que o total de palavras certas no ditado do TDE-II foi maior no 4º ano do que no 2º ano para a amostra total, como esperado, e que a diferença entre os alunos com e sem queixas de dificuldades foi maior no 4º ano do que no 2º ano. Análise de post-hoc revelou que não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os alunos com queixas do 2º ano e do 4º ano, ou seja, a diferença entre eles foi tão pequena que não se mostrou significativa. Tal resultado corrobora o efeito Mateus, sugerindo que crianças com dificuldades ao início da escolarização tendem a apresentar menores ganhos e se distanciar cada vez mais dos colegas com habilidades mais desenvolvidas. Logo, estratégias e intervenções precisam ser desenvolvidas para facilitar o desenvolvimento da linguagem escrita das crianças e promover avanços logo ao início da escolarização.

The study investigated writing of 2nd and 4th grade children with and without signs of the specific learning disorder, and aimed to compare the difference in writing between these two groups of students, to analyze whether the difference between them would be smaller in the early grades and would tend to increase in the final grades, as theoretically predicted by Matthew effect. 51 teachers and 1085 students participated in this study, among which 49 had signs compatible with the specific learning disorder. The instrument used to analyze the students writing was the School Performance Test (TDE-II). It was observed that, in general, the total number of correct words in the TDE-II dictation was greater in the 4th grade, compared to the 2nd grade, as expected, and the difference between students with and without complaints of difficulties was greater among the students in 4th grade than among 2nd grade students. Post-hoc tests showed that there was no statistically significant difference between 2nd grade students with complaints and 4th grade students of with complaints, that is, the difference between them was so small that it was not significant. This result corroborates the "Matthew effect": children with difficulties at the beginning of schooling tend to present lower gains and, increasingly, distance themselves from colleagues with more developed skills. Thus, strategies and interventions must be designed to facilitate children's literacy and promote advances at beginning of schooling.

Associations between fetal testosterone and pro-social tendencies, anxiety and autistic symptoms in Williams syndrome: a preliminary study.

Objective: Fetal testosterone (fT) has organizational effects on the developing human nervous system and can be reliably estimated by the ratio between the length of the second and fourth digits - 2D:4D. Previous studies reported altered patterns of fT in some developmental disabilities (e.g. ASD) relative to typically developing individuals (TD). Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by exacerbated empathy and social approach and heightened anxiety. Recent reports also highlight the co-occurrence of significant levels of autistic symptoms. Despite constituting an interesting model to study androgenic contributions to social behavior, no studies have sought to explore fT in WS. The main aims of this preliminary study were two-fold: (a) to compare 2D:4D in WS and TD; (b) to analyze the pattern of associations between 2D:4D and hypersociability, affective and cognitive empathy, anxiety and autistic symptoms in WS. Methods: 2D:4D were measured from digital scans of the ventral surface of the right hand. Hypersociability, empathy, anxiety and autistic symptoms were obtained from parental reports. Results: There were no significant differences in 2D:4D between WS than TD. In WS lower fT (higher 2D:4D) was significantly associated with hypersociability and affective empathy, as well as marginally associated with anxiety/depression scores. In contrast, cognitive empathy was marginally and negatively associated with 2D:4D, while levels of autistic symptoms were unrelated with this measure. Conclusion: Our results suggest that fT may be implicated in the emergence of several cardinal features of WS, namely hypersociability, affective empathy and anxiety, but not in ASD symptoms.

Parental Perception of Word Acquisition and Loss in Autism: A Comparative Study / Percepção Parental sobre Aquisição e Perda de Palavras no Autismo: Estudo Comparativo / Percepción de los Padres de la Adquisición y Pérdida de Palabras en el Autismo: Un Estudio Comparativo

Abstract Some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience the loss of previously acquired abilities, especially that of using words, a phenomenon that is still poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate parents' perceptions of the age of word acquisition and word loss in individuals with ASD as compared to children with Down Syndrome (DS) and those with typical development (CG). Parents of 77 individuals with ASD, 33 with DS, and 63 from CG completed an inventory on the loss of words and developmental abilities. The median age of acquisition of the first words was 14 months for the ASD group, approximately 4 months after those in CG, and 23 months for the SD group. Word loss occurred only in the ASD group (36.4%). The median age of loss was 18 months. Parents' perception of word loss can contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon as a potential early ASD indicator.

Resumo Algumas crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) apresentam perda de habilidades previamente adquiridas, especialmente a de utilização de palavras, fenômeno ainda pouco compreendido. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a percepção dos pais sobre a idade de aquisição e perda de palavras em indivíduos com TEA, comparados a crianças com Síndrome de Down (SD) e desenvolvimento típico (GC). Pais de 77 indivíduos com TEA, de 33 com SD e 63 do GC preencheram um inventário sobre perda de palavras e habilidades de desenvolvimento. A mediana da idade de aquisição das primeiras palavras foi 14 meses no TEA, em torno de quatro meses após o GC, e 23 meses no grupo SD. A perda de palavras ocorreu apenas no grupo TEA (36,4%). A mediana da idade da perda foi 18 meses. A percepção dos pais sobre a perda de palavras pode contribuir para o entendimento desse fenômeno como um potencial indicador precoce do TEA.

Resumen Algunos niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) experimentan la pérdida de habilidades previamente adquiridas, especialmente palabras, un fenómeno que aún no se comprende bien. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la percepción de los padres sobre laedad de adquisición y la perdida de las primeras palabras em indivíduos con TEA, Síndrome de Down (SD) y grupo control típico (GC). Padres de 77 individuos con TEA, 33 com SD y 63 del GC respondieron un inventario de pérdida de vocabulario y habilidades de desarrollo. La mediana de edad de adquisición de las primeras palabras fue 14 meses em el TEA, alrededor de 4 meses más tarde que el GC, y 23 meses en el grupo SD. La pérdida de vocabulário fue observada solamente em el grupo TEA (36,4%). En este grupo la mediana de edad de ocurrencia de la pérdida fue 18 meses. La percepción de los padres de la pérdida de vocabulário puede contribuir a la comprensión de este fenómeno como un potencial indicador precoz del TEA.

Physiological adaptation after a 12-week physical activity program for patients with Prader-Willi syndrome: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity programs are a powerful tool against several diseases including obesity and their comorbidities. Prader-Willi syndrome is the most common genetic disease associated with obesity, and brings with it behavioral and emotional problems that need complex management. Research into the effect of physical activity programs on Prader-Willi syndrome is limited and it is frequently argued that if a physical activity program is too complex, the participants are more likely to drop out. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the physiological adaptation effect of a physical activity program with increasing complexity and load, in a boy and a girl with Prader-Willi syndrome by assessing changes in lipid profile, body composition, and physical fitness parameters. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 was an 11-year-old girl, mixed race (brown), with an intelligence quotient of 68, 52.0 % body fat, and a body mass index of 45.3 kg/m(2). The Prader-Willi syndrome diagnosis was made when she was 5-years old and was found to be due to an imprinting genomic defect. Case 2 was a 14-year-old boy, mixed race (brown), with an intelligence quotient of 74, 48.8 % body fat, and a body mass index of 37.3 kg/m(2). The diagnosis was made when he was 10-years old and was found to be caused by gene deletion. Both participants presented physical characteristics and behavior problems typical of Prader-Willi syndrome. Case 2 presented high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea and had to use continuous positive airway pressure to sleep. Both participants were assessed for 12 weeks (three times a week) using a physical activity program designed to improve strength and muscle hypertrophy. The work load was progressively adjusted as necessary and new exercises were added to the program. Prior to the program, the participants' parents received instructions about managing problem behavior and advice about nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: After physical activity program several health markers assessed by biological tests and parental report had improved in both participants. The participants positively accepted the adaptations made to the physical activity program during the study. More studies are necessary to assess the benefits of physical activity in the Prader-Willi syndrome population.

Voluntary and Automatic Orienting of Attention in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ABSTRACT Objective: Voluntary and automatic orienting of attention enable proper processing of environmental information. Few studies have assessed how this process varies during development in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: This study analyzed voluntary and automatic orienting in 30 children with ADHD and 30 age and sex matched controls (Control group-CG). Two experiments assessed voluntary and automatic orienting by recording reaction times (RT) to conditions in relation to temporal interval, spatial position, cue validity and age. The RT medians calculated for each condition and participant were analyzed using ANOVA to compare ADHD and CG. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited globally higher RT than the CG group. They also showed prejudices during the reorienting process and demonstrated adequate voluntary orienting for shorter intervals. In automatic task, there was no group interaction, expressing early facilitation, but not inhibition of return. Conclusion: These results identify correlations of ADHD and the children's age in relation to voluntary and automatic orienting of attention.

Nutritional intervention with hypocaloric diet for weight control in children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder caused by the lack of expression of paternal alleles in the proximal region of the long arm of chromosome 15. Low inhibitory control and hyperphagia are two of the most severe neurobehavioral symptoms of the syndrome. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of nutritional training program with the use hypocaloric diet for weight control in a group of five children and adolescents with PWS. The intervention program consisted of 10 sessions for parents' orientation during 8months. Patients had their anthropometric measures assessed (weight, height and body mass index - BMI). The main results indicate weight maintenance, height increase, and BMI decrease after intervention. These results were considered indicators of the program's efficiency.