[Clinical efficacy of interactive group sandplay versus individual sandplay in the treatment of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficacy of interactive group sandplay versus individual sandplay in the treatment of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A total of 80 ASD children, aged 4-6 years, were enrolled and randomly divided into experimental and control groups, with 40 children in each group. The children in the experimental group joined group sandplay with normal children at a ratio of 1: 3, and those in the control group were treated with individual sandplay. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) were used to evaluate the treatment outcome after three months of intervention. RESULTS: There were 33 children in the experimental group and 28 in the control group. After three months of intervention, the experimental group had significant reductions in the scores of irritability, social withdrawal, and stereotypic behavior and the total score of the ABC scale (P<0.05), and the control group had significant reductions in the scores of behavior and inappropriate speech and the total score of the ABC scale (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in the score of social withdrawal and the total score of the ABC scale after three months of intervention (P<0.05). After three months of intervention, the experimental group had significant reductions in the scores of sociability, sensory and cognitive awareness, and physical/health behavior and the total score of the ATEC scale (P<0.05), and the control group had significant reductions in the scores of speech, sociability, and physical/health behavior and the total score of the ATEC scale (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in the scores of speech, sociability, and sensory and cognitive awareness and the total score of the ATEC scale after intervention (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the experimental group also had significantly greater improvements in eye contact and sand stereotyped arrangement (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both interactive group sandplay and individual sandplay are effective in the treatment of ASD in preschool children. Interactive group sandplay is better than individual sandplay in the treatment of ASD, with significant improvements in sociability, emotion and stereotypic behavior.

[Clinical effect of integrated sandplay therapy in children with Asperger syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of integrated sandplay therapy in preschool children with Asperger syndrome (AS). METHODS: A total of 44 preschool children with AS were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 22 children in each group. The children in the control group were given routine training, and those in the experimental group were given integrated sandplay therapy in addition to the routine training. The treatment response was assess by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), emotional recognition tools and changes in sandplay theme characteristics after 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Before intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the total score of SRS, the score of each factor of SRS, and correct rates of facial expression recognition of the upright position, inverted position, upper face and lower face (P>0.05). After 6 months of intervention, both groups had significant reductions in the total score of SRS and the score of each factor of SRS (P<0.01); the control group had significant increases in the correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions except the upright position (P<0.05), while the experimental group had significant increases in the correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions (P<0.05). Compared with the control group after intervention, the experimental group had significantly lower total score of SRS and scores of all factors of SRS except social perception (P<0.01) and significantly higher correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions (P<0.01). The experimental group had a significant change in the number of sandplay theme characteristics after intervention (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Integrated sandplay therapy can improve social responsiveness and emotion recognition ability in preschool children with AS.

[Differential expression analysis of proteins in neutrophils between clinical mastitis and healthy dairy cows].

Neutrophils provide the first line of defense against invading pathogens and have been reported to play a key role in bovine mammary immune. To examine the differential expression of proteins in neutrophils between clinical mastitis and healthy dairy cows, a 2-dimensional electrophoresis gel map with high repeatability was constructed for bovine neutrophils. From this map, seven differentially expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF MS which are believed to be involved in pathways such as cell metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reaction. The differentially expressed proteins identified in this study may provide the basis for bovine mastitis resistance breeding research.

[Relationship between gene polymorphism of GABAA receptors gene and childhood autism].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between gene polymorphism of GABAA receptors and childhood autism by detecting rs140682, rs2081648 and rs140679 site of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in GABAA receptors gene. METHODS: A total of 94 children with autism and 124 normal children were enrolled in a hospital from November 2010 to May 2011. Childhood autism rating scale (CARS) and autism behavior checklist (ABC) were used to evaluate or investigate the case group. After collecting venous blood and extracting the genome DNA, the allele and genotype of SNP rs140682, rs2081648 and rs140679 site in GABAA receptors gene were detected by PCR-RFLP. The allele and genotype of case group and control group were analyzed by χ(2) test, while the score of scales was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: The age of the case group was 5.12 ± 0.32, and it was 5.25 ± 0.27 in the control group (P < 0.05). In case group, the frequency of genotype CC, CT and TT of rs140682 site was 44, 41 and 9, while it was 48, 65, and 11 in control group (P > 0.05), respectively. The frequency of genotype AA, AG and GG of rs2081648 site was 8, 58 and 28 in case group, while it was 12, 49 and 63 in control group (P < 0.05), respectively. In case group, the frequency of genotype CC, CT and TT of rs140679 site was 15, 36 and 43, while it was 18, 59 and 47 in control group (P > 0.05), respectively. It was revealed by Spearman rank correlation analysis that of rs2081648 site, there was a positive correlation between genotype AG and sensation factor (S), social intercourse factor (R), and language factor (L) of autism behavior checklist (ABC) (r values were 0.149, 0.165 and 0.155, all P values < 0.05). A negative correlation between genotype GG and S, R, L and self-help factor (V) was proved (r values were -0.140, -0.173, -0.158 and -0.135, all P values < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between allele A and R and L factors (r values were 0.153 and 0.137, all P values < 0.05), while a negative correlation between allele G and R and L factors (r values were -0.153 and -0.137, all P values < 0.05). In case group, 42 children were diagnosed with mild-to-moderate autism, while 52 children were severe autism. There was no statistically significant correlation between allele or genotype of SNP rs140682 and rs140679 site and the degree of autism (P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between allele A and genotype AG and the degree of autism (r values were 0.147 and 0.616, all P values < 0.05), while a negative correlation between allele G and genotype GG and the degree of autism (r values were -0.159 and -0.616, all P values < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The SNP rs2081648 site which located in GABAA receptors gene may be related to autism. No evidence for significant association between rs140682 and rs140679 site and autism was found.