Exploring the Relationship Between Auditory Brainstem Response Testing and Disease Progression in Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objective: This study aimed to examine auditory brainstem response (ABR) test results in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to provide valuable insights for the future diagnosis and treatment of ASD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 26 children diagnosed with ASD admitted to our hospital between April 2021 and December 2022 (the observation group) and 38 children who underwent health checkups during the same period (the control group). ABR testing was administered to both groups at our hospital. We assessed differences in ABR test results between the observation and control groups and analyzed the correlation between ABR test results and the outcomes of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) surveys. Additionally, we examined variations in ABR test results among ASD children across different age groups. Results: In the observation group, we observed higher right ear latencies of waves I and III, as well as differences in left and right ear interpeak latencies (IPLs) of waves I-V compared to the control group (P < .05). However, the left and right ear IPLs of waves III-V were lower in the observation group (P < .05). There were no significant differences in ABR test results among ASD children of different ages (P > .05). Furthermore, we identified positive correlations between the right ear wave III latency, left ear wave I-III IPL, and right ear wave I-III IPL with ABC and CARS scores (P < .05). Conclusions: Children with ASD display abnormal ABR characteristics, indicating the potential of ABR as a valuable tool for evaluating ASD progression in the future.

Morphological Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on Globular Substances in Mice.

OBJECTIVE: Many authors, including us, elucidated that vitamin D deficiency was a risk factor for benign paroxysmal position vertigo. We speculated vitamin D deficiency was likely to intervene otoconia formation by globular substance (GS). METHODS: Kunming mice were randomly divided into three groups: vitamin D sufficient group (12-wk standard control diet), vitamin D deficiency group (16-wk vitamin D deficiency diet), and vitamin D supplement group (16-wk vitamin D deficiency diet and followed 8-wk standard control diet). At 12, 16, and 24 weeks, blood was collected for measuring vitamin D and macula utriculi were obtained for research under scanning electron microscope (SEM). We randomly selected 10 SEM photographs of macula utriculi in each mouse, counted cilium and GS, and measured diameters of counted GS. The ratio of the number of GS to cilium in each SEM photograph was defined as density of GS. RESULTS: The diameter and density of GS were larger and higher in vitamin D deficiency group than sufficient group (p < 0.05; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in density and diameters of GS between vitamin D deficiency and supplement group. The rough and grainy surface became smoother and smoother along with vitamin D deficiency, and reappeared after vitamin D supplement for 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: GS secreted as a precursor of mature otoconia is affected by vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation can mitigate the effects in mice. The density of GS, a quantitative method we designed, can quantify GS well.