Gut pathobiome mediates behavioral and developmental disorders in biotoxin-exposed amphibians.

Emerging evidence suggests a link between alterations in the gut microbiome and adverse health outcomes in the hosts exposed to environmental pollutants. Yet, the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms remain largely undefined. Here we show that exposure to biotoxins can affect gut pathobiome assembly in amphibians, which in turn triggers the toxicity of exogenous pollutants. We used Xenopus laevis as a model in this study. Tadpoles exposed to tropolone demonstrated notable developmental impairments and increased locomotor activity, with a reduction in total length by 4.37%-22.48% and an increase in swimming speed by 49.96%-84.83%. Fusobacterium and Cetobacterium are predominant taxa in the gut pathobiome of tropolone-exposed tadpoles. The tropolone-induced developmental and behavioral disorders in the host were mediated by assembly of the gut pathobiome, leading to transcriptome reprogramming. This study not only advances our understanding of the intricate interactions between environmental pollutants, the gut pathobiome, and host health but also emphasizes the potential of the gut pathobiome in mediating the toxicological effects of environmental contaminants.

Disaggregating Asian-American Mortality in Drug-Related Overdoses and Behavioral Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Asian Americans have been historically underrepresented in the national drug overdose discourse due to their lower substance use and overdose rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups. However, aggregated analyses fail to capture the vast diversity among Asian-American subgroups, obscuring critical disparities. We conducted a cross-sectional study between 2018 and 2021 examining Asian-American individuals within the CDC WONDER database with drug overdoses as the underlying cause of death (n = 3195; ICD-10 codes X40-X44, X60-X64, X85, and Y10-Y14) or psychoactive substance-related mental and behavioral disorders as one of multiple causes of death (n = 15,513; ICD-10 codes F10-F19). Proportional mortality ratios were calculated, comparing disaggregated Asian-American subgroups to the reference group (Asian Americans as a single aggregate group). Z-tests identified significant differences between subgroups. Compared to the reference group (0.99%), drug overdose deaths were less prevalent among Japanese (0.46%; p < 0.001), Chinese (0.47%; p < 0.001), and Filipino (0.82%; p < 0.001) subgroups, contrasting with a higher prevalence among Asian Indian (1.20%; p < 0.001), Vietnamese (1.35%; p < 0.001), Korean (1.36%; p < 0.001), and other Asian (1.79%; p < 0.001) subgroups. Similarly, compared to the reference group (4.80%), deaths from mental and behavioral disorders were less prevalent among Chinese (3.18%; p < 0.001), Filipino (4.52%; p < 0.001), and Asian Indian (4.56%; p < 0.001) subgroups, while more prevalent among Korean (5.60%; p < 0.001), Vietnamese (5.64%; p < 0.001), Japanese (5.81%; p < 0.001), and other Asian (6.14%; p < 0.001) subgroups. Disaggregated data also revealed substantial geographical variations in these deaths obscured by aggregated analyses. Our findings revealed pronounced intra-racial disparities, underscoring the importance of data disaggregation to inform targeted clinical and public health interventions.

Occupational differences in the effects of retirement on hospitalizations for mental illness among female workers: Evidence from administrative data in China.

Retirement, a major transition in the life course, may affect many aspects of retirees' well-being, including health and health care utilization. Leveraging differential statutory retirement age (SRA) by occupation for China's urban female workers, we provide some of the first evidence on the causal effect of retirement on hospitalizations attributable to mental illness and its heterogeneity. To address endogeneity in retirement decisions, we take advantage of exogeneity of the differing SRA cut-offs for blue-collar (age 50) and white-collar (age 55) female urban employees. We apply a Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) around the SRA cut-offs using nationally representative hospital inpatient claims data that cover these workers. We show that blue-collar females incur more hospitalizations for mental illness after retirement, while no similar change is found for white-collar females. Conditional on blue-collar females being hospitalized, probabilities of overall and ER admissions due to mental illness increase by 2.3 and 1.2 percentage points upon retirement, respectively. The effects are primarily driven by patients within the categories of schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders; and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders. Moreover, the 'Donut' RDD estimates suggest that pent-up demand at retirement unlikely dominates our findings for blue-collar females. Rather, our results lend support to their worsening mental health at retirement. These findings suggest that occupational differences in mental illness and related health care utilization at retirement should be considered when optimizing retirement policy schemes.

Chronotype and emotional/behavioral problems mediate the association between leisure screen time and academic achievement in children.

Leisure screen time is associated with poor academic achievement; however, the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. Chronotypes and emotional/behavioral problems may be linked to this association. This study aimed to examine the associations between leisure screen time, chronotype, emotional/behavioral problems, and academic achievement using mediation analysis. A total of 113 children aged 9-12 years participated in this study. All participants were assessed for leisure screen time, chronotype, emotional/behavioral problems, and academic achievement. Leisure screen time was evaluated using a self-reported questionnaire. Chronotypes were measured using The Japanese Children's Chronotype Questionnaire, and the morningness/eveningness (M/E) score was calculated. Emotional/behavioral problems were assessed using The Japanese Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the total difficulties score (TDS) was calculated. Academic achievement was assessed by the homeroom teacher for each of the seven school subjects. Partial correlation analysis adjusted for grade, sex, and sleep duration indicated that leisure screen time was associated with M/E scores and academic achievement (p < 0.05). There was a positive association between M/E score and TDS (p < 0.05) and a negative association between TDS and academic achievement (p < 0.05). A mediation analysis adjusted for grade, sex, and sleep duration was performed. There was a significant total effect of leisure screen time on academic achievement (p < 0.05). Additionally, the M/E score and TDS significantly mediated the association between leisure screen time and academic achievement (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the serial path between chronotype and emotional/behavioral problems weakly but significantly mediates the association of leisure screen time with academic achievement.

Mental Health Crises in Autistic Children: A Framework for Prevention and Intervention in Primary Care.

Children with autism are at high risk for experiencing a mental health crisis, which occurs when psychiatric and behavioral symptoms become a danger and caregivers do not have the resources to safely manage the event. Our current mental health systems of care are not fully prepared to manage crisis in autistic individuals, due to the shortage of available mental health providers and programs that are tailored for autistic children. However, new strategies to address crisis are gradually emerging. This article provides a framework to define crisis and implement prevention and intervention approaches that could potentially mitigate risk for crisis.

Management of Impulse Control and Related Disorders in Parkinson's Disease: An Expert Consensus.

BACKGROUND: Impulse-control and related behavioral disorders (ICBDs) significantly impact the lives of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and caregivers, with lasting consequences if undiagnosed and untreated. While ICBD pathophysiology and risk factors are well-studied, a standardized severity definition and treatment evidence remain elusive. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to establish international expert consensus on ICBD treatment strategies. To comprehensively address diverse treatment availabilities, experts from various continents were included. METHODS: From 2021 to 2023, global movement disorders specialists engaged in a Delphi process. A core expert group initiated surveys, involving a larger panel in three iterations, leading to refined severity definitions and treatment pathways. RESULTS: Experts achieved consensus on defining ICBD severity, emphasizing regular PD patient screenings for early detection. General treatment recommendations focused on continuous monitoring, collaboration with significant others, and seeking specialist advice for legal or financial challenges. For mild to severe ICBDs, gradual reduction in dopamine agonists was endorsed, followed by reductions in other PD medications. Second-line treatment strategies included diverse approaches like reversing the last medication change, cognitive behavior therapy, subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation, and specific medications like quetiapine, clozapine, and antidepressants. The panel reached consensus on distinct treatment pathways for punding and dopamine dysregulation syndrome, formulating therapy recommendations. Comprehensive discussions addressed management strategies for the exacerbation of either motor or non-motor symptoms following the proposed treatments. CONCLUSION: The consensus offers in-depth insights into ICBD management, presenting clear severity criteria and expert consensus treatment recommendations. The study highlights the critical need for further research to enhance ICBD management. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Outcomes of children with constipation and autism spectrum disorder treated with antegrade continence enemas.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of functional constipation (FC) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging due to sensory and behavioral issues. We aimed to understand whether antegrade continence enemas (ACEs) are successful in the treatment of FC in children with ASD. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective review was performed in children diagnosed with ASD and FC who underwent appendicostomy or cecostomy placement from 2007 to 2019. Descriptive statistics regarding soiling and complications were calculated. RESULTS: There were 33 patients included, with a median age of 9.7 years at the time of ACE initiation. The average intelligence quotient was 63.6 (SD = 18.0, n = 12), the average behavioral adaptive score was 59.9 (SD = 11.1, n = 13), and the average total Child Behavioral Checklist score was 72.5 (SD = 7.1, n = 10). Soiling rates were significantly lower following ACE initiation (42.3% vs. 14.8%, p = 0.04). Behavioral issues only prevented 1 patient (3.0%) from proper ACE use. Eleven patients (36.6%) were able to transition to laxatives. There were significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes measures and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Placement of an appendicostomy or cecostomy for management of FC in children with severe ASD was successful in treating constipation and improving quality of life.

Neural networks from biological to artificial and vice versa.

In this paper, we examine how deep learning can be utilized to investigate neural health and the difficulties in interpreting neurological analyses within algorithmic models. The key contribution of this paper is the investigation of the impact of a dead neuron on the performance of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Therefore, we conduct several tests using different training algorithms and activation functions to identify the precise influence of the training process on neighboring neurons and the overall performance of the ANN in such cases. The aim is to assess the potential application of the findings in the biological domain, the expected results may have significant implications for the development of effective treatment strategies for neurological disorders. Successive training phases that incorporate visual and acoustic data derived from past social and familial experiences could be suggested to achieve this goal. Finally, we explore the conceptual analogy between the Adam optimizer and the learning process of the brain by delving into the specifics of both systems while acknowledging their fundamental differences.

Psychometric properties of the Caregiver's inventory neuropsychological diagnosis dementia (CINDD) in mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

OBJECTIVES: The Caregiver's Inventory Neuropsychological Diagnosis Dementia (CINDD) is an easy tool designed to quantify cognitive, behavioural and functional deficits of patients with cognitive impairment. Aim of the present study was to analyse the psychometric properties of the CINDD in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Dementia (D). DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The CINDD, composed by 9 sub-domains, was administered to fifty-six caregivers of patients with different types of dementia (D) and 44 caregivers of patients with MCI. All patients underwent an extensive neuropsychological assessment, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and functional autonomy scales. The reliability, convergent construct validity and possible cut-off of CINND were measured by Cronbach's alpha (α), Pearson's correlation and ROC analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The D and MCI patients differed only for age (p=0.006). The internal consistency of CINDD was high (α= 0.969). The α-value for each CINDD domain was considered acceptable, except the mood domain (α=0.209). The CINDD total score correlated with cognitive screening tests; each domain of the CINDD correlated with the corresponding score from either tests or NPI (p<0.05), except for visuo-spatial perception skills and apathy. A screening cut-off equal to 59, can be used discriminate D from MCI (Sensitivity=0.70, Specificity=0.57). CONCLUSION: The CINDD is a feasible, accurate and reliable tool for the assessment of cognitive and behavioural difficulties in patients with different degree of cognitive impairment. It may be used to quantify and monitor caregiver-reported ecological data in both clinical and research settings.

Influencia correctiva de la actividad física en la inclusión de los educandos con trastornos de la conducta

La Educación Física, el deporte y la recreación constituyen herramientas efectivas en la educación para corregir o compensar los modos de actuación de los educandos con trastornos en la conducta, manifestaciones que muchas veces son motivo de exclusión por parte del grupo de coetáneos, docentes y/o la comunidad donde reside. Ante las exigencias actuales de crear escuelas verdaderamente inclusivas en su funcionamiento, no siempre se encuentran en las aulas los profesionales competentes que garanticen una educación de calidad y equidad, capaz de aprovechar los beneficios de la actividad física y el deporte, tanto en el desarrollo social como en el psicológico; debido a su impacto en la construcción de las identidades individuales y colectivas, los educandos sienten la necesidad de su participación, la satisfacción con la tarea desarrollada y pueden valorar sus resultados, lo que permite la formación de actitudes y valores positivos hacia las diferentes esferas de la vida social. Es por ello que el siguiente artículo tiene como objetivo diseñar un sistema de talleres que contribuyan a la preparación de los docentes para la inclusión de escolares con trastornos de la conducta desde la actividad física y deportes. Para ello se utilizaron métodos como el histórico-lógico, el análisis documental, la entrevista y la observación científica, los que permitieron constatar el estado actual de la preparación de dichos profesionales y plantear desde la vía científica una respuesta de solución que promueva nuevos modos de actuación profesional.

A Educação Física, o esporte e a recreação constituem ferramentas eficazes na educação para corrigir ou compensar o comportamento dos alunos com distúrbios comportamentais, manifestações que muitas vezes são motivo de exclusão por parte do grupo de pares, professores e/ou da comunidade onde reside. Dadas as atuais exigências de criação de escolas verdadeiramente inclusivas no seu funcionamento, nem sempre se encontram profissionais competentes que garantam uma educação de qualidade e equidade, capazes de aproveitar os benefícios da atividade física e do desporto, tanto no desenvolvimento social como nas salas de aula. nas salas de aula, como no psicológico; Pelo seu impacto na construção de identidades individuais e coletivas, os alunos sentem necessidade da sua participação, satisfação com a tarefa realizada e podem valorizar os seus resultados, o que permite a formação de atitudes e valores positivos perante as diferentes esferas da vida social. vida. É por isso que o artigo a seguir tem como objetivo desenhar um sistema de oficinas que contribua para a preparação de professores para a inclusão de escolares com distúrbios comportamentais por meio da atividade física e esportiva. Para isso, foram utilizados métodos como histórico-lógico, análise documental, entrevistas e observação científica, que permitiram verificar o estado atual da preparação destes profissionais e propor, numa perspectiva científica, uma resposta de solução que promova novas formas de atuação profissional.

Physical Education, sports and recreation constitute effective tools in education to correct or compensate for the behavior of students with behavioral disorders, manifestations that are often a reason for exclusion by the group of peers, teachers and/or or the community where you reside. Given the current demands to create schools that are truly inclusive in their operation, competent professionals who guarantee quality and equity education, capable of taking advantage of the benefits of physical activity and sport, both in social development and in the classrooms, are not always found in the classrooms. as in the psychological; Due to its impact on the construction of individual and collective identities, students feel the need for their participation, satisfaction with the task carried out and can value their results, which allows the formation of positive attitudes and values towards the different spheres of social life. That is why the following article aims to design a system of workshops that contribute to the preparation of teachers for the inclusion of schoolchildren with behavioral disorders through physical activity and sports. To do this, methods such as historical-logical, documentary analysis, interviews and scientific observation were used, which made it possible to verify the current state of the preparation of these professionals and propose, from a scientific perspective, a solution response that promotes new ways of professional performance.

[The problem of comorbid disorders in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: clinical cases]. / Problema komorbidnykh rasstroistv pri sindrome defitsita vnimaniya s giperaktivnost'yu u detei i podrostkov i ikh korrektsiya: klinicheskie nablyudeniya.

The problem of comorbid disorders in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered, which occur in at least 60% of patients and lead to additional difficulties in intra-family, school and social adaptation. Children and adolescents with ADHD have a wide range of neurological and somatic disorders caused by complex polygenic pathogenetic mechanisms. Among the pathologies associated with ADHD in this cohort of children, neurotic and anxiety manifestations, motor disorders: dyspraxia, discoordination, impaired gross and fine motor skills, tics, behavioral disorders, enuresis, tension cephalgia are common disorders. Treatment of ADHD should be pathogenetic, taking into account the main symptoms of ADHD and manifestations of comorbid disorders, since it is quite long. When choosing pharmacotherapy, it is preferable to use drugs with verified efficacy not only in the correction of ADHD, but also concomitant behavioral, motor and emotional disorders. Also an important aspect in the pediatric clinic is the use of drugs with a reliable safety profile.

[Teraligen in the complex treatment of anxiety-phobic, behavioral and depressive syndromes in children and adolescents with schizotypal disorder]. / Teralidzhen v kompleksnoi terapii trevozhno-fobicheskikh, povedencheskikh i depressivnykh narushenii u detei i podrostkov s shizotipicheskim rasstroistvom.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of prescribing and the main therapeutic targets of Teraligen in the treatment of Schizotypal disorder (STD) in childhood and adolescence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 151 patients aged 7 to 16 years with a diagnosis of STD (F 21), of which 31.1% (n=47) of female patients and 68.9% (n=104) of male patients who received inpatient or outpatient treatment at the FSBI NCPZ from 2008 to 2020. The study was conducted by clinical-psychopathological, clinical-catamnestic, and statistical methods. RESULTS: Teraligen was prescribed by psychiatrists to patients with STD in 74.2% of cases, of which in 46.4% of cases patients received Teraligen even before the diagnosis of STD in connection with complaints of neurotic disorders (anxiety, fears and sleep disorders) (n=30), as well as in connection with autistic-like behavior (n=22). At the time of follow-up, 55% (n=83) of patients received Teraligen, of which 63.9% (n=53) of patients were prescribed it for the first time. The applied schemes of prescribing Teraligen for the treatment of anxiety-phobic, depressive and behavioral syndromes within the framework of the STD in a relatively age-related aspect are presented. CONCLUSION: The high frequency of prescribing Teraligen by psychiatrists and neurologists to children and adolescents with STD at different stages of observation is shown, which reflects the confidence of specialists in this drug. Teraligen has demonstrated a multidimensional pharmacological effect, including a mild antipsychotic effect, providing reduction of a wide range of psychopathological symptoms, with good tolerability and drug interaction. The study of the possibilities of Teraligen, both for monotherapy and for augmentation of the treatment of mental pathology in childhood, remains relevant.

[Restraint in geriatrics: France's backwardness]. / Contention en gériatrie : le retard de la France.

In the absence of legal provisions, passive physical restraint methods in geriatrics were defined at the start of this century, accompanied by recommendations relating to their use. Despite the frequency of these measures of restraint, there are few French publications on this subject. It seems that this practice varies according to the geriatric establishments and prevails in hospital more than in nursing home. The most widespread method is the dual barrier on the bed, as well as in hospital than in nursing home. To this should be added restraint provided by the premises themselves, intended to secure access to a facility, found in 90% of residences for the dependent elderly, and also medication. Passive physical restraint, mainly implemented to prevent falls, has however clearly shown its deleterious effects, particularly in the USA where it is thought to be responsible for 1/1000 deaths in nursing homes, although when it is absent there appears to be no increased risk of falls. Medication-based restraint is more readily used to sedate in case of disruptive behaviors (agitation, aggressiveness) although no clear data is available to date. Restraint provided by the premises themselves, used preventively in case of wandering and straying, is nevertheless a deprivation of freedom, and seems to concern the majority of geriatric facilities today. In the absence of legislation to regulate these practices, the present authors discuss the need for ethical reflection before the implementation of measures of restraint, whatever their nature, and they propose certain ideas on possible methods for passive physical restraint: raising awareness among caregivers and family members who often call for these measures, the existence of alternative measures, and the delaying of implementation as long as possible and/or sequentially.

From rodents to humans: Rodent behavioral paradigms for social behavioral disorders.

Social cognition guides social behavior. Subjects with proper social cognition should be able to: (1) have reasonable social motivation, (2) recognize other people and infer their intentions, and (3) weigh social hierarchies and other values. The choice of appropriate behavioral paradigms enables the use of rodents to study social behavior disorders in humans, thus enabling research to go deeper into neural mechanisms. This paper reviews commonly used rodent behavioral paradigms in studies of social behavior disorders. We focused specifically on sorting out ways to transfer the study of human social behavior to rodents through behavioral paradigms.

Trends in CV mortality among patients with known mental and behavioral disorders in the US between 1999 and 2020.

Introduction: Patients with mental disorders are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. We aimed to assess the cardiovascular mortality trends over the last two decades among patients with mental and behavioral co-morbidities in the US. Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) Multiple Cause of Death dataset. We determined national trends in age-standardized mortality rates attributed to cardiovascular diseases in patients with and without mental and behavioral disorders, from 1999 to 2020, stratified by mental and behavioral disorders subtype [ICD10 codes F], age, gender, race, and place of residence. Results: Among more than 18.7 million cardiovascular deaths in the United States (US), 13.5% [2.53 million] were patients with a concomitant mental and behavioral disorder. During the study period, among patients with mental and behavioral disorders, the age-adjusted mortality rate increased by 113.9% Vs a 44.8% decline in patients with no mental disorder (both p<0.05). In patients with mental and behavioral disorders, the age-adjusted mortality rate increased more significantly among patients whose mental and behavioral disorder was secondary to substance abuse (+532.6%, p<0.05) than among those with organic mental disorders, such as dementia or delirium (+6.2%, P- nonsignificant). Male patients (+163.6%) and residents of more rural areas (+128-162%) experienced a more prominent increase in age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality. Discussion: While there was an overall reduction in cardiovascular mortality in the US in the past two decades, we demonstrated an overall increase in cardiovascular mortality among patients with mental disorders.

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on indirect costs of mental illness and behavioral disorders in Poland.

Introduction: In various research, the estimation of the disease's economic burden has been taken into consideration. But given the fact that different settings will have distinguished consequences, determining the economic burden of COVID-19 in the studied environment is of great importance. As a result, this study aimed to show the change in indirect costs of mental health problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Methods and Results: Indirect costs related to mental health problems were analyzed from the perspective of the Social Insurance Institution in Poland. In 2021, they amounted to about 285.8 billion PLN (Polish currency) [61.1 billion EUR (European currency)], up 6% from the previous year. A large increase in spending on disability benefits was observed for 2019-2021 (+14.7%). Disease groups generating the highest expenditures in the structure of total expenditures on incapacity benefits in 2021 in Poland were mental health problems (16.7% of total expenditures). Expenditures on disability benefits related to mental health problems incurred by Social Security in 2021 amounted to about 7.42 billion PLN [1.6 billion EUR] and were 19.4% higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic). In the 2012-2019 period, there was a significant decrease in expenses related to inpatient rehabilitation (41.3%), while in 2020-2021, these expenses decreased several times as the epidemiological situation related to the COVID pandemic reduced access to such services. Discussion: This is the first study on the economic burden of COVID-19 indirect costs in Poland. Calculating the economic impact is crucial, particularly when there is a large disease outbreak and countries are severely constrained by financial resources. Doing so could aid in the development of effective social security policies. As shown in this study, the indirect costs of absenteeism expenses due to mental health problems increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to take all possible measures, both in the field of primary and secondary prevention, to prevent disability and exclusion from the labor market of people affected by mental health problems, which is justified by epidemiological data and financial data on the expenses incurred by Social Security for social insurance benefits.

Nano-hesperetin ameliorates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced behavioral deficits and oxidative damage by up-regulating gene expression of antioxidant enzymes.

Objective: Hesperetin (Hst) has shown several pharmacological effects. The efficacy of Hst is highly restricted in vivo due mainly to poor bioavailability. This investigation was intended to compare the influence of Hst and nano-Hst treatment on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced behavioral deficits and oxidative stress in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-two Wistar male rats were equally assigned to 6 groups: control, 6-OHDA, Hst5, Hst10, nano-Hst5, and nano-Hst10. Treatment with Hst and nano-Hst was initiated 1 day after the intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA and continued for 28 days. Behavioral deficits were evaluated using apomorphine-induced rotation test (AIRT), narrow beam test (NBT) and novel object recognition test (NORT), and the hippocampus and striatum were used to evaluate oxidative stress-related parameters. Results: The rats injected only with 6-OHDA showed learning and memory deficits but Hst and nano-Hst treatments improved it (p<0.001). Compared to the control group, a marked promotion in Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels along with a marked reduction in activities and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in the hippocampus and striatum were observed in the 6-OHDA group (p<0.01). However, administration of Hst and nano-Hst remarkably diminished MDA levels (p<0.01), and significantly increased the activities (p<0.01) and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (p<0.05) and GSH levels (p<0.01) compared to the 6-OHDA group. In most parameters, nano-Hst has shown better therapeutic effects than Hst. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that Hst can be considered as a potential candidate for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and that nano-Hst may have better bioavailability.

Socio-Environmental Determinants of Mental and Behavioral Disorders in Youth: A Machine Learning Approach.

Growing evidence indicates that extreme environmental conditions in summer months have an adverse impact on mental and behavioral disorders (MBD), but there is limited research looking at youth populations. The objective of this study was to apply machine learning approaches to identify key variables that predict MBD-related emergency room (ER) visits in youths in select North Carolina cities among adolescent populations. Daily MBD-related ER visits, which totaled over 42,000 records, were paired with daily environmental conditions, as well as sociodemographic variables to determine if certain conditions lead to higher vulnerability to exacerbated mental health disorders. Four machine learning models (i.e., generalized linear model, generalized additive model, extreme gradient boosting, random forest) were used to assess the predictive performance of multiple environmental and sociodemographic variables on MBD-related ER visits for all cities. The best-performing machine learning model was then applied to each of the six individual cities. As a subanalysis, a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to confirm results. In the all cities scenario, sociodemographic variables contributed the greatest to the overall MBD prediction. In the individual cities scenario, four cities had a 24-hr difference in the maximum temperature, and two of the cities had a 24-hr difference in the minimum temperature, maximum temperature, or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a leading predictor of MBD ER visits. Results can inform the use of machine learning models for predicting MBD during high-temperature events and identify variables that affect youth MBD responses during these events.

Sensory processing abilities and their impact on disease severity in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Objectives: Although several studies have shown sensory processing abnormalities in pediatric subjects with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is significant heterogeneity among their results. Materials and Methods: This study was performed to compare the sensory processing abilities of children and adolescents with and without ADHD aged 6-15 years and to correlate the sensory processing problems in these patients, with the symptom profile and severity of ADHD. While child sensory profile-2 (SP-2) was used to assess, the sensory processing abilities of ADHD patients, revised Connor's parent rating scale revised, Malin's intelligence scale for Indian children, grade level assessment device, and child behavior checklist were used to assess ADHD symptom severity, intelligence, learning, and behavioral problems, respectively. Results: A total of 66 ADHD patients enrolled (60 boys), 22 (28%), 7 (9%), and 49 (63%) cases were the ADHD-hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI), ADHD-inattentive, and ADHD-combined (ADHD-C) types, respectively, and 33 typically developing controls. The ADHD patients had a significantly low raw score on most of the factors, sections, and response patterns of SP-2 (P < 0.05), but only four and one ADHD patients had auditory and visual processing scores outside the normal clinical range. There was a trend toward higher scores in the children with ADHD-C and ADHD-HI subtypes. There was a moderate negative correlation between hyperactivity/impulsivity T-score and auditory processing scores in the SP (P < 0.05, r = -0.43). We observed a negative correlation, although weak, between visual processing scores and hyperactivity/impulsivity and a positive correlation between the severity of conduct disorder-related problems, oppositional defiant problems, anxiety problems, and auditory as well as tactile processing scores (P < 0.05). In the quadrant score summary, the scores for all four types, that is, sensory sensitivity, low registration, sensation avoiding, and sensation seeking, were significantly more in the ADHD group, as compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: Sensory processing abilities in ADHD children differ from that of typically developing children when objectively assessed, although most of the ADHD children had scores in the clinically normal range. The sensory processing profile also has an impact on the severity and comorbidity profile of ADHD patients.

Psychiatric burden in a cohort of adults with Niemann Pick type C disease: from psychotic symptoms to frontal lobe behavioral disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To describe Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) behavioral symptoms (focusing on psychotic symptoms) and its relation to frontal lobe functioning. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical charts of NP-C-patients followed in the Lysosomal Diseases reference center in Paris Pitié-Salpêtrière. We collected demographic data, psychiatric clinical manifestations, psychometric scales, and extended neuropsychological data including executive and behavioral frontal lobe functions evaluations. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included in the study with ten of them having experienced at least one acute psychotic episode, being inaugural for six of them. Most of the patients suffered from behavioral (15/17) and cognitive disorders (18/19) (including executive dysfunction (11/12), apathy (13/17), impaired social cognition (11/13) and stereotyped behaviors (5/10). For five patients, quality of life was significantly impaired by these abnormal behaviors. Concerning frontal neuropsychological evaluation, Facial emotion recognition was by far the most performed neuropsychological test (n = 8) and the score was always abnormal. It is noteworthy that psychotic symptoms were often drug resistant (8/9) and that Miglustat was associated with a better control of psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We report a high frequency of psychiatric symptoms in NP-C encompassing acute psychotic manifestations, often presenting early in the course of the disease with atypical features. We also report disabling behavioral manifestations related to frontal dysfunction.