Vitamin D Deficiency in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Vitamin D plays a role in central nervous system (CNS) development. Recent literature focused on vitamin D status in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but with inconsistent results. Our case-control study is aimed at evaluating serum 25-hydroxyl-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration in children with ASD (ASD group, n = 54) compared to children affected by other neurological and psychiatric disorders (non-ASD group, n = 36). All patients were admitted at the Complex Operative Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, Polyclinic of Bari, Italy. 25(OH)D was quantified by chemiluminescence immunoassay and level defined as: deficiency (<20 ng/mL); insufficiency (20-30); normality (30-100); toxicity (>100). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS20 (significance < 0.05). The ASD group showed 25(OH)D a mean level significantly lower than control (p = 0.014). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed an association between ASD and vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.006). The nature of such association is unclear. Vitamin D deficiency may probably act as a risk factor for the development of ASD. Further studies are needed to unravel the role of vitamin D in ASD etiology and investigate its therapeutic potential.

Prolactin variations during risperidone therapy in a sample of drug-naive children and adolescents.

The aim of this prospective observational study was to investigate the variations of serum prolactin hormone (PRL) in a sample of 34 drug-naive patients (mean age 13 years) who started risperidone therapy assuming that several factors may favor the increase in serum PRL. Serum PRL and hyperprolactinemia clinical signs were examined at baseline (T0) and after almost 3 months of treatment (T1). We considered sex, pubertal status, risperidone dosage, psychiatric diagnosis, and any personal/family history of autoimmune diseases. The mean serum PRL value increased between T0 and T1 (P=0.004). The mean serum PRL was higher in females in the pubertal/postpubertal stage and for risperidone dosage up 1 mg/day. Hyperprolactinemia was found in 20% of patients at T0 and in 38% of patients at T1 (P=0.03). The mean serum PRL increase was greater in early-onset schizophrenia spectrum psychosis patients compared with no-early-onset schizophrenia spectrum psychosis patients (P=0.04). The increase in PRL was higher in patients with a personal and a family history of autoimmune diseases. This study suggests that the increase in serum PRL in patients treated with risperidone may be linked not only to the drug and its dosage but also to several risk factors such as sex, pubertal stage, psychiatric disease, and autoimmune disorders.

Psychopathology in children and adolescents with primary headaches: categorical and dimensional approaches.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent headache is common in childhood, but there is not a great amount of data on the associations between headaches and psychopathology in children. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between primary headaches and psychopathology in children, using both the categorical and dimensional assessment. METHODS: The sample consisted of 70 patients with primary headache compared to a matched sample of 50 healthy children. Psychiatric comorbidity was defined according to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders. Child psychopathology outcomes were assessed using child- and parent-reported standardized instruments. RESULTS: Internalizing and externalizing problems were significantly represented among children with headaches compared to the control group, respectively 63% and 27%, without significant differences between migraine and tension-type headache children. Moreover, a total of 26% of the children with a headache reported psychiatric comorbidity such as anxiety and mood disorders. CONCLUSION: The dimensional approach improves accuracy in the recognition of emotional and behavioral problems compared to the categorical approach; however, the use of both of these approaches could be useful for clinical practice, treatment and research.

Long-term follow-up of neurological manifestations in a boy with incontinentia pigmenti.

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked dominant genodermatosis confined to females. It is usually lethal in males. However, the survival of some males has been reported in literature. We describe a long follow-up case of a 12-year-old male with IP and a normal karyotype but a genomic deletion of the NEMO gene in the Xq28 position in the form of somatic mosaicism. The patient showed severe ophthalmic abnormalities and neurological manifestations characterised by very mild cerebellar ataxia and a history of epilepsy that was severe at the beginning with West syndrome, become moderate overtime and is now resolved. Despite these neurological manifestations, probably related to the presence of at least some mutated cells in his brain, the long-term follow-up in this patient demonstrated good neurological and cognitive outcome.

Tolerability and safety profile of risperidone in a sample of children and adolescents.

The aim of this prospective observational study was to verify the tolerability and safety profile of risperidone in a sample of antipsychotic-naive children/adolescent patients having a different psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-two (mean age of 12±3.2) antipsychotic-naive patients who started therapy with risperidone were recruited. The assessment involved anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI, BMI z-score and BMI percentile), cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure and QTc interval) and blood tests (levels of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic and pyruvic transaminases, γ-glutamyl transferase, prolactin, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroglobulin, antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin). After an average follow-up of 6 months of risperidone therapy, a statistically significant increase in weight and body composition was observed. Furthermore, an increase in serum levels of prolactin was observed in 50% of patients. No other significant changes in metabolic and cardiovascular parameters were found. Although an increase in these parameters was detected, it remained in the normal range. This study suggests the use of specific protocols for monitoring children/adolescents treated with second-generation antipsychotics to manage the metabolic long-term complications and progression to more severe disease states.

Ophthalmoplegic migraine: migraine or oculomotor neuropathy?

BACKGROUND: Ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM) is a rare condition characterized by the association of headaches and an oculomotor nerve palsy. The third cranial nerve is commonly involved in recurrent attacks, whereas involvement of the sixth and fourth nerves is uncommon. It is still debated whether an uncontrolled migraine or an oculomotor neuropathy may be the primary cause of ophthalmoplegic migraine. CASES: We report two patients affected by OM with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings and a history of uncontrolled migraine before an attack of OM. CONCLUSION: The cases reported allow us to hypothesize that OM may be considered a form of migraine rather than a cranial neuralgia. It is possible that different factors such as inflammatory or structural factors, may represent a vulnerability of the nerve during a severe migraine attack causing ophthalmoplegia.

Familial liability, obstetric complications and childhood development abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Genetic and environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions are linked to higher likelihood of developing schizophrenia in accordance with the neurodevelopmental model of disease; little is known about risk factors and early development in early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and very early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS). METHODS: We present a case-control study of a sample of 21 patients with EOS/VEOS and a control group of 21 patients with migraine, recruited from the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Science, University of Bari, Italy. The aim was to assess the statistical association between VEOS/EOS and family history for psychiatric disorders, obstetric complications and childhood developmental abnormalities using 2 × 2 tables and a Chi Squared or Fisher test. RESULTS: The results show a statistical association between EOS/VEOS and schizophrenia and related disorders (P = 0.02) and personality disorders (P = 0.003) in relatives, and between EOS/VEOS and developmental abnormalities of early relational skills (P = 0.008) and learning (P = 0.04); there is not a statistically relevant difference between cases and controls (P > 0.05) for any obstetric complications (pre, peri and postpartum). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the significant role of familial liability but not of obstetric complications in the pathogenesis of VEOS/EOS; the association between childhood developmental abnormalities and EOS/VEOS supports the neurodevelopmental model of disease.