Maternal breastfeeding and autism spectrum disorder in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of conditions variably affecting communicative and social interactive abilities presenting alongside behaviors with various restricted and repetitive patterns. In addition to genetic factors that influence the onset of the symptoms, there is growing interest in the potential involvement of non-genetic environmental factors. Some aspects of breastfeeding practices, including rates, timing, or optimality, have been put forward as environmental risk factors for autism. However, previous studies showed a controversial relationship between ASD and breastfeeding. METHODS: A meta-analysis on the association between maternal breastfeeding and ASD in children was conducted. We also explored potential moderating factors which might influence this association. Articles reporting the association between breastfeeding and a diagnosis of ASD were included. RESULTS: Seven articles were included in the meta-analysis. Cumulatively, children with ASD (n = 1463), either in the form of clinical diagnosis or self-report, were significantly less likely to have been breastfed than children without ASD (n = 1180) (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.45-0.83, P = 0.002). Subgroup analyses revealed that results remained significant for children who were breastfed with additional supplementation. DISCUSSION: This meta-analysis provides evidence that breastfeeding (exclusively or including additional supplements) may protect against ASD. Prospective longitudinal research is required to disentangle the complex relationships and to explore potential pathophysiological mechanisms.

Maternal breastfeeding and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children: a meta-analysis.

Previous studies have suggested environmental factors may contribute to the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current meta-analysis examined (1) the difference in the duration of maternal breastfeeding between children with and without ADHD, and (2) the association between maternal breastfeeding and ADHD in children. The data of individual studies were synthesized with a random-effects model. Eleven articles were included in this meta-analysis. Children with ADHD had significantly less breastfeeding duration than controls (Hedges' g = - 0.36, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = - 0.61 to - 0.11, p = 0.005; difference in means: - 2.44 months, 95% CIs = - 3.17 to - 1.71, p < 0.001). In addition, the rates of non-exclusive breastfeeding in children with ADHD is significantly higher in "under 3 months" (odds ratio (OR) = 1.90, 95% CIs = 1.45 to 2.48, p < 0.001) but lower in "6 to 12 months" (OR = 0.69, 95% CIs = 0.49 to 0.98, p = 0.039) and "over 12 months" (OR = 0.58, 95% CIs = 0.35 to 0.97, p = 0.038) than controls. Children with ADHD received significantly higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding duration "under 3 months" (OR = 1.51, 95% CIs = 1.20 to 1.89, p < 0.001) but lower in "over 3 months" (OR = 0.52, 95% CIs = 0.29 to 0.95, p = 0.033) than controls. Furthermore, an association was found between non-breastfeeding and ADHD children (adjusted OR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.94 to 7.11, p < 0.001). Our results suggest maternal breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of ADHD in children. Future longitudinal research is required to confirm/refute these findings and to explore possible mechanisms underlying this association.

Dosage of methylphenidate and traumatic brain injury in ADHD: a population-based study in Taiwan.

Preventive effect of stimulants on the risk of brain injuries had been reported. The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which methylphenidate (MPH) prescription moderates the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Individuals with a recent diagnosis of ADHD between January 1997 and December 2013 (n = 163,618) were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 124,438 adolescents and children with ADHD and without prior TBI diagnoses were included and evaluated for subsequent TBI. Methylphenidate prescription duration was subgrouped by the annual average cumulative defined daily dose (DDD): 0, >0 to ≤28, > 28 to ≤84, and >84. We identified 11,463 diagnoses of TBI among 124,438 adolescents and children with ADHD. A Cox regression model was used to investigate whether MPH prescription influenced the risk for TBI after adjusting for sex, age, level of urbanization, seizure, autism and sedative-anxiolytics use. A reduced TBI incidence was observed with MPH prescription DDDs > 84. The protective effect of MPH against TBI persisted after adjusting for confounding factors [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47-0.51]. There was also statistically significant difference in risk for TBI in subjects receiving > 0 to ≤28 or >28 to ≤84 DDDs of MPH treatment (HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.83-0.92; HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.72-0.80, respectively) when compared with subjects not receiving treatment with MPH. Treatment with MPH for greater than 84 DDDs reduced the risk for TBI among children with ADHD.

Influence of Personality and Motivation on Oral Presentation Performance.

Personality and motivation have been identified as influential variables associated with foreign language learning; however, few studies have investigated their effect on oral presentations. This study addresses the importance of both personality and motivation in students' collaborative oral presentation performance. A Big Five personality trait questionnaire measuring Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness to Experience, together with the Collaborative Inquiry-based Project Questionnaire measuring Task, Project Work, Reinforcement, Social Learning and Social Pressure motivational constructs were employed to evaluate 257 university students. In general, the results showed that Extraversion, Project Work and Social Pressure were significant correlates of oral presentation scores. The first result suggests that extraverts possess superiority in situations where oral language production is central to communication. This was particularly true for lower-level students, inferring that extraverted personalities can compensate for a lower English language ability. The second indicates that the inquiry-based nature of the assignments was an intrinsic motivator especially valued by extraverts. The third implies that extrinsic motivation was a factor influencing student performance. These findings extend previous research by highlighting the contextual relationships between these affective variables and performance in collaborative oral presentation contexts.

Association between antidepressants and venous thromboembolism in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and antidepressant use in an Asian population. METHODS: The authors conducted a nested case-control study of 1888 patients with VTE and 11,222 matched controls enrolled in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from 2001 to 2009. The antidepressant exposure status and potential confounding factors were measured and included in the analyses. Conditional logistic regressions were applied to determine the effect of antidepressant use on VTE. RESULTS: We found a significant association of current antidepressant use with VTE in the total study sample (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-2.00). With regard to antidepressant classes and potency, we found that tricyclic antidepressants (aOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.11-2.18), serotonin 5-HT2A receptor blockers (aOR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.27-3.24), and antidepressants with a low potency of serotonin reuptake inhibition (aOR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.18-2.08) were associated with a significantly increased risk of VTE. When further stratifying by age, sex, and comorbid conditions, the VTE risk with antidepressant use was elevated among young and middle-aged adults, but not among the elderly. In addition, an elevated risk of VTE was observed in women and subjects without severe comorbid conditions, but not in men and subjects with severe comorbid conditions. CONCLUSIONS: There was a small increase in VTE risk with antidepressant use. The prescription of antidepressant drugs should be cautious, and especially, should be based on clinical evaluations of benefits and risks. The underlying mechanisms of the interaction between antidepressants and VTE warrant further investigation.

Increased risk of developing dementia in patients with bipolar disorder: a nested matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The association between bipolar disorder and subsequent dementia risk is not well established. The objective of this study was to investigate whether patients with bipolar disorder were at an increased risk for developing dementia. METHODS: A conditional logistic regression model was performed using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database, a nationwide dataset in Taiwan. The study sample included 9,304 patients with incident dementia first diagnosed between 2000 and 2009, and 55,500 gender-, age-, and index date-matched subjects without dementia. Cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, head injury, chronic pulmonary disease, alcohol-related disorders, substance use disorders, and health system utilization were treated as covariates in the analyses. RESULTS: After controlling for the covariates, bipolar disorder was significantly associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.21-5.82]. An increased risk of developing dementia was observed in males and females alike (aOR = 4.01, 95% CI: 2.53-6.35 in males; aOR = 4.55, 95% CI: 3.07-6.73 in females). Moreover, a significantly increased risk was observed in subjects diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65 years (aOR = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.78-8.01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study suggest a positive association between the presence of a lifetime history of bipolar disorder and an increased risk of developing dementia. Furthermore, our results also suggest that subjects with bipolar disorder tend to develop dementia in middle age. Going forward, it will be of importance to confirm our findings in different populations.

Psychotropic drugs and risk of motor vehicle accidents: a population-based case-control study.

AIM: To examine comprehensively the relationship between exposure to four classes of psychotropic drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs, and motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). METHOD: The authors conducted a matched case-control study of 5183 subjects with MVAs and 31 093 matched controls, identified from the claims records of outpatient service visits during the period from 2000 to 2009. Inclusion criteria were defined as subjects aged equal to or more than 18 years and involved in MVAs. Conditional logistic regressions with covariates adjustment (including urbanity, psychiatric and non-psychiatric outpatient visits and Charlson comorbidity score) were applied to examine the effect of four classes of psychotropic drugs on MVAs. RESULTS: Significant increased risk of MVAs was found in subjects taking antidepressants within 1 month (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34, 2.22), 1 week (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.29, 2.26), and 1 day (AOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.26, 2.29) before MVAs occurred. Similar results were observed in subjects taking benzodiazepines (BZDs) (AOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.38, 1.75 for 1 month; AOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.43, 1.88 for 1 week, and AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.39, 1.88 for 1 day) and Z-drugs (AOR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14, 1.76 for 1 month, AOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.06, 1.75 for 1 week, AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.03, 1.75 for 1 day), but not antipsychotics. Moreover, significant dose effects of antidepressants (equal to or more than 0.6-1.0 DDD), BZDs (equal to or more than 0.1-0.5 DDD) and Z-drugs (more than 1 DDD) were observed, respectively, on the risk of experiencing an MVA. CONCLUSION: Taken together, subjects taking antidepressants, BZDs and Z-drugs, separately, should be particularly cautioned for their increasing risk of MVAs.

Lower Risk of Burn Injury in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Little research has examined burn injury in the pediatric population with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 15,844 participants aged <18 years with ASD and 130,860 participants without ASD. Our results revealed that the hazard ratios differed across three age ranges. The ASD group had a lower risk of burn injury than the non-ASD group when they were less than 6 years of age, a higher risk from 6 years to 12 years of age, and no difference when they were older than 12 years of age. More research is required to study the characteristics and causes of burn injury in the pediatric population with ASD.

Naturalistic exploration of the effect of osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate on remission rate and functional improvement in Taiwanese children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

AIM: To determine the differences in the remission rate, recovery rate, functional improvement, and treatment adherence related to treatment with short-acting immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH) and long-acting osmotic-release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) in a naturalistic setting among Taiwanese children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: A total of 757 children with ADHD, aged 6-18 years, was evaluated using the following in order determine functional improvement and treatment adherence: the Chinese version of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale (SNAP-IV-C), Clinical Global Impression-ADHD-Severity (CGI-S) to measure remission and recovery rates, the Chinese version of the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (CSAICA), and caregiver's satisfaction rate, treatment adherence, and frequency of adverse effects. RESULTS: According to the SNAP-IV-C scores, the remission rate was 30.72%, and the recovery rate was 16.38%. Compared to short-acting IR-MPH, OROS-MPH was associated with greater functional improvement and treatment adherence among children with ADHD. CONCLUSION: OROS-MPH treatment at the adequate dosage can achieve higher remission and recovery rates, produce greater functional improvement, and result in better treatment adherence than IR-MPH treatment.

5-day multi-session intermittent theta burst stimulation over bilateral posterior superior temporal sulci in adults with autism-a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a patterned repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocol with shorter simulation duration and lower stimulus intensity, could be a better protocol for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study aimed to explore the impacts of intermittent TBS (iTBS) over the bilateral posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) on intellectually able adults with ASD. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled crossover trial, 13 adults with ASD completed iTBS for 5 consecutive days over the bilateral pSTS and inion (as a sham control) in a 16-weeks interval and in a randomly assigned order. The neuropsychological function was measured with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for cognitive flexibility while the clinical outcomes were measured with both self-rate and parents-rate Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) before and after 5-day iTBS interventions. RESULTS: The results revealed significantly immediate effects of multi-session iTBS over the bilateral pSTS on parent-rate autistic symptoms in adults with ASD. The post-hoc analysis revealed the impacts of multi-session iTBS on cognitive flexibility were affected by baseline social-communicative impairment and baseline cognitive performance. Besides, the impacts of multi-session iTBS on clinical symptoms was affected by the concurrent psychotropic medication use and baseline autistic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Given the caveat of the small sample size and discrepancy of multiple informants, this pilot study suggests the therapeutic potential of 5-day multi-session iTBS over the pSTS in adults with ASD. Individual factors modulating the response to rTMS should be explicitly considered in the future trial.

Comparison of patient and caregiver assessments of depressive symptoms in elderly patients with depression.

This cross-sectional study is an evaluation of the extent to which proxy assessment may appropriately substitute for or add to self-assessment regarding somatic complaints, physical activities of daily living, and instrumental activities of daily living in elderly patients diagnosed with depression according to DSM-IV criteria. A total of 102 patient-caregiver dyads met the study's inclusion criteria. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between proxies and patients were all significant for the number of somatic complaints, physical activities of daily living. Proxy-patient responses were consistent for most subtypes of geriatric depression, with the exception of instrumental activities of daily life in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder. Proxy reports assessing somatic complaints and physical and instrumental activities of daily living may therefore be a valid supplement to retrospective self-reports in the management of clinical depression in the elderly.

Better efficacy for the osmotic release oral system methylphenidate among poor adherents to immediate-release methylphenidate in the three ADHD subtypes.

AIMS: To determine factors for switching to osmotic release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) among poor adherents to immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH); and to compare the efficacy of OROS-MPH on the three attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes in a multi-site prospective observational study in Taiwan. METHODS: The sample included 240 children with ADHD, aged 6-16 years, who were poor adherents to IR-MPH, 137 of whom were switched to OROS-MPH. The child psychiatrists diagnosed the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) ADHD subtypes and assessed the medical history, adherence, side-effects, global ADHD severity, and family/school effectiveness. Parents reported their child's behavioral symptoms. RESULTS: The determinants for an OROS-MPH switch were higher dosage, shorter treatment and thrice-daily administration of IR-MPH, and more severe inattention symptoms. Hyperactivity and oppositional symptoms were greater in the ADHD combined and hyperactive-impulsive subtypes than the inattentive subtype. Switching to OROS-MPH significantly improved behavioral symptoms and family/school measures, and this was most evident in the ADHD-combined group, followed by the ADHD-inattentive group. Inattention influenced not only academic performance, but also overall classroom behaviors and the parent-child relationship, with the latter two also influenced by oppositional symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests better efficacy for the OROS-MPH among poor adherents to IR-MPH; however, its effectiveness varied across the three ADHD subtypes (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00460720).

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Mortality Risk in Taiwan.

Importance: Few studies have investigated levels of mortality in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and findings have been inconsistent and lacking information on specific causes of deaths. Objective: To investigate the association between ADHD and causes of death in Taiwan. Design, Setting, and Participants: A nationwide population-based cohort study was conducted using a cross-national Taiwanese registry. The ADHD group comprised 275 980 individuals aged 4 to 44 years with a new diagnosis between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012. All individuals with ADHD were compared with 1 931 860 sex- and age-matched controls without ADHD. Exposures: The association between ADHD and mortality was analyzed using a Cox regression model that controlled for sex, age, residence, insurance premium, outpatient visits, congenital anomaly, intellectual disability, depression disorder, autism, substance use disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. The analysis of suicide, unintentional injury, homicide, and natural-cause mortality was performed by a competing risk adjusted Cox regression controlling for other causes of mortality and potential confounding factors. Main Outcomes and Measures: Data on mortality from all causes, suicide, unintentional injury, homicide, and natural causes collected from a national mortality database. Results: There were 275 980 individuals with ADHD and 1 931 860 comparison individuals without ADHD in this study. Sex and age at index date were matched. The mean (SD) age was 9.61 (5.74) years for both groups. Most of the participants were male (209 406 in the ADHD group; 1 465 842 in the non-ADHD group; 75.88% for both groups). A total of 4321 participants from both cohorts died during the follow-up period (15.1 million person-years), including 727 (0.26%) from the ADHD group and 3594 (0.19%) from the non-ADHD group. Of those who died, 546 (75.1%) in the ADHD group and 2852 (79.4%) in the non-ADHD group were male. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with the non-ADHD group, patients with ADHD showed higher overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.17) and higher injury-cause mortality from suicide (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.62-2.71), unintentional injury (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10-1.52), and homicide (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.09-3.68). No increased risk of natural-cause mortality was observed after adjustment. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, ADHD was associated with higher injury-cause mortality, particularly that due to suicide, unintentional injury, and homicide. Although the risk of injury mortality was significantly higher in patients with ADHD than in the non-ADHD group, the absolute risk of mortality was low.

Risk of Dementia Among Individuals With Psoriasis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease putatively associated with dementia. However, the epidemiologic evidence of the relationship between psoriasis and dementia has been limited. We used a large national sample to investigate this relationship as well as the association between systemic therapy for psoriasis and incident dementia. METHODS: The cases were identified as a first recorded diagnosis of psoriasis (ICD-9-CM codes: 696.0, 696.1, or 696.8) between 1996 and 2013 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Each selected case of psoriasis was compared with 4 sex-, age-, and urbanization-matched comparison subjects. The first diagnosis of dementia (ICD-9-CM codes: 290.0-290.4, 294.1-294.2, 331.0-331.2, or 331.82) that covered vascular and nonvascular subtypes until the end of 2013 was tracked in both groups. Cox regression analyses and a competing risk model were applied to evaluate the risk, adjusting for sex, urbanization, age, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, stroke, and depression. The association between systemic therapy and incidence of dementia in the psoriasis group was examined in further stratified analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 3,820 patients with psoriasis and 15,280 comparisons were identified. After adjustment, a significantly higher risk of dementia was identified in the psoriasis group than in the comparison group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.42). A significant association between psoriasis and dementia was identified for nonvascular dementia (aHR = 1.25, 95% CI, 1.07-1.45) but not for vascular dementia (aHR = 1.27, 95% CI, 0.83-1.93). Receiving systemic therapy for psoriasis for more than 90 days significantly reduced the risk of developing dementia compared with no systemic therapy (aHR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.97). Compared with those who received no systemic therapy, the patients who received disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and/or biologics had a significantly lower risk of dementia incidence (aHR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.97), which was not the case in patients who received only phototherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with psoriasis have a significantly higher incidence of dementia, particularly the nonvascular type. Systemic therapy might be protective in preventing dementia in patients with psoriasis.

Significantly lower serum and hair magnesium levels in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The pathophysiology of attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still obscure. Some studies have discussed that magnesium levels are lower in the serum and erythrocytes of children with ADHD. However, these findings are controversial. The aim of our study is to identify whether magnesium levels are in fact lower in children with ADHD. We conducted a thorough search of the literature and examined the connection between magnesium insufficiency and ADHD. A total of twelve studies were included into the current meta-analysis. The results of our meta-analysis found that peripheral blood magnesium levels, either in plasma, serum, or whole blood, of children diagnosed with ADHD were significantly lower than those in controls (k = 8, Hedges' g = -0.547, 95% CI = -0.818 to -0.276, p < .001). The subgroup meta-analysis with serum sample sources also suggested that peripheral serum magnesium levels of children diagnosed with ADHD were significantly lower than those in controls (k = 6, Hedges' g = -0.733, 95% CI = -0.911 to -0.555, p < .001). The subgroup meta-analysis focusing on subjects with ADHD diagnosed by definite diagnostic criteria also suggested significantly lower peripheral serum magnesium levels in ADHD children than those in controls (k = 4, Hedges' g = -0.780, 95% CI = -0.985 to -0.574, p < .001). We also noted that magnesium levels in the hair of children diagnosed with ADHD were significantly lower than those in controls (k = 4, Hedges' g = -0.713, 95% CI = -1.359 to -0.067, p = .031). In this meta-analysis, we found that children diagnosed with ADHD have lower serum and hair magnesium levels than children without ADHD. Further study may be needed to investigate the behavioral influence on ADHD due to lower magnesium levels, the association between brain and serum magnesium levels, and the effects brought about by larger longitudinal cohort studies.

Antidepressant medication use and nasopharyngeal cancer risk: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The association between antidepressant exposure and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has not been previously explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between antidepressant prescription, including novel antidepressants, and the risk of NPC in a population-based study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for the analysis were derived from National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified 16,957 cases with a diagnosis of NPC and 83,231 matched controls by using a nested case-control design. A conditional logistic regression model was used, with adjustments for potentially confounding variables (eg, comorbid physical diseases, comorbid psychiatric diseases, and other medications). RESULTS: We report no association between NPC incidence and antidepressant prescription. For all classes of antidepressants, antidepressant exposure, regardless of cumulative dose, had no significant effect on NPC incidence (adjusted odds ratio of cumulative selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure ≥336 defined daily dose was 1.18 [95% CI: 0.90-1.53]; tricyclic antidepressant exposure ≥336 defined daily dose was 1.18 [95% CI: 0.80-1.74]). CONCLUSION: There was no association between antidepressant prescription and incident NPC.

Herpes Zoster and Dementia: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Some infectious diseases have been found to be associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. However, the relationship between herpes zoster and dementia has received little attention. This study aimed to investigate this association as well as associations of antiviral treatments for herpes zoster and incident dementia using a large national sample. METHODS: Cases were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database with a new diagnosis of herpes zoster (ICD-9-CM code: 053) between 1997 and 2013. Each identified individual with a case of herpes zoster was compared with 1 sex-, age-, and residence-matched control subject. Both groups were followed until the first diagnosis of dementia (ICD-9-CM codes: 290.0 to 290.4, 294.1, 331.0 to 331.2, and 331.82), withdrawal from the registry, or the end of 2013. Cox regression analyses and competing risk model were applied, adjusting for sex, age, residence, depression, autoimmune disease, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, alcohol use disorder, and antiviral treatments for herpes zoster to evaluate the risk of interest. RESULTS: A total of 39,205 cases with herpes zoster were identified. Of the 78,410 study and comparison subjects, 4,204 were diagnosed as having dementia during a mean (SD) follow-up period of 6.22 (4.05) years. Herpes zoster was associated with a slightly increased risk of dementia in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.17). Prescriptions of antiviral therapy were associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia following the diagnosis of herpes zoster (HR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.40-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Herpes zoster was associated with an increased risk of dementia, independent of potential confounding factors. Antiviral treatment might be protective in preventing dementia in patients with herpes zoster.

Peripheral iron levels in children with autism spectrum disorders vs controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, and nutritional deficiency may play a role in the development of ASD. A relationship between ASD and iron levels/iron deficiency (ID) has been reported; however, the results have been inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to examine the relationship between ASD and ID following the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. We performed a systematic search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, ProQuest, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases up to September 22, 2017. Studies providing data on peripheral iron levels and/or the prevalence of ID in children with ASD vs those without ASD (non-ASD) were included. Primary outcomes included the difference in peripheral iron levels in children with ASD compared with those without ASD, and the odds ratio of ASD in children with ID compared with those without ID. Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. We found that peripheral iron levels were not significantly different between the ASD and non-ASD groups, including serum ferritin (k = 4, Hedges g = 0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.482 to 0.515, P = .949) or hair iron (k = 12; Hedges g = -0.219, 95% CI = -0.551 to 0.113, P = .196). There was no significant difference in the amount of iron in food content between the ASD and non-ASD groups (k = 6; Hedges g = -0.458, 95% CI = -1.246 to 0.330, P = .254). However, the reciprocal comorbidity of ASD and ID was significantly higher than in the children without these disorders. Our analysis showed that the available evidence is inconsistent with regard to whether children with ASD have lower iron levels. Future longitudinal studies are required to confirm or refute these associations and elucidate potential mechanisms.

Peripheral iron levels in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is growing recognition that the risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children may be influenced by micronutrient deficiencies, including iron. We conducted this meta-analysis to examine the association between ADHD and iron levels/iron deficiency (ID). We searched for the databases of the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to August 9th, 2017. Primary outcomes were differences in peripheral iron levels in children with ADHD versus healthy controls (HCs) and the severity of ADHD symptoms in children with/without ID (Hedges' g) and the pooled adjusted odds ratio (OR) of the association between ADHD and ID. Overall, seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria. Peripheral serum ferritin levels were significantly lower in ADHD children (children with ADHD = 1560, HCs = 4691, Hedges' g = -0.246, p = 0.013), but no significant difference in serum iron or transferrin levels. In addition, the severity of ADHD was significantly higher in the children with ID than those without ID (with ID = 79, without ID = 76, Hedges' g = 0.888, p = 0.002), and there was a significant association between ADHD and ID (OR = 1.636, p = 0.031). Our results suggest that ADHD is associated with lower serum ferritin levels and ID. Future longitudinal studies are required to confirm these associations and to elucidate potential mechanisms.

Disabled children in special education programs in Taiwan: use of mental health services and unmet needs.

Despite national health insurance coverage in Taiwan, many health care needs remain unmet. In the current study, the behavior and emotional problems of 1,042 disabled children in special education programs were evaluated using the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-C) and the Teacher's Report Form (TRF). Using the 60th percentile on the two tests as a cutoff representing a clinical indication, students who reached this cutoff point but did not receive mental health services in the past six months were considered to have "unmet mental health needs." Of the special education students in the study 73.9% reached clinical indications, but did not receive mental health care.