Ultrasound measurement of the corpus callosum and neural development of premature infants

Length and thickness of 152 corpus callosa were measured in neonates within 24 hours of birth.Using ultrasonic diagnostic equipment with a neonatal brain-specific probe,corpus callosum length and thickness of the genu,body,and splenium were measured on the standard mid-sagittal plane,and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu was measured in the coronal plane.Results showed that corpus callosum length as well as thickness of the genu and splenium increased with gestational age and birth weight,while other measures did not.These three factors on the standard mid-sagittal plane are therefore likely to be suitable for real-time evaluation of corpus callosum development in premature infants using cranial ultrasound.Further analysis revealed that thickness of the body and splenium and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu were greater in male infants than in female infants,suggesting that there are sex differences in corpus callosum size during the neonatal period.A second set of measurements were taken from 40 premature infants whose gestational age was 34 weeks or less.Corpus callosum measurements were corrected to a gestational age of 40 weeks,and infants were grouped for analysis depending on the outcome of a neonatal behavioral neurological assessment.Compared with infants with a normal neurological assessment,corpus callosum length and genu and splenium thicknesses were less in those with abnormalities,indicating that corpus callosum growth in premature infants is associated with neurobehavioral development during the early extrauterine stage.     

海上训练对陆军士兵神经行为功能和生理机能的影响

目的 研究海上训练（海训）对陆军士兵神经行为功能和生理机能的影响。方法 对参加海上训练士兵在海有和训练结束后，应用神经行为核心测试组合（NCTB）对其神经行为功能进行测评，应用生理指标体重（BW）、体脂（BF）、握力（HS）、肺海量（VC）、PWC170和生化指标超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、丙二醛（MDA）、皮质醇（C）对其身体机能进行。结果 海训结束后与海训前比较，士兵NCTB测试中紧张－焦虚、疲惫－惰性项得分明显降低，而有力－好动项得分明显升高，数字译码、目标追踪正确点数评分明显增高，错误点数降低（P＜0.01）；HS、HC、PWC170明显升高，BW、BF降低（P＜0.01）；血清SOD活性明显升高，MDA、C含量降低（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）。结论 海上训练可改善军人神经行为功能，提高机体抗氧化能力和免疫功能。     

不同血锌原卟啉水平的接铅工人神经行为功能改变的研究

本文对48名无明显临床症状的铅作业工人进行了7项神经行为功能测验,结果发现,血ZPP值未超过70μg/dl时,铅接触工人的数字跨度、提转捷度、数字译码和目标追踪测验得分均已明显低于对照组。提示铅对接触者的损伤首先表现为注意力、反应速度、手部运动速度准确度及眼手协调功能的改变,而且这种改变先于临床和生化指标的异常改变。     

油漆工神经行为功能调查

目的：探讨油漆对作业工人的早期危害。方法：用神经行为核心测试组合（NCTB）法对55名油漆工和66名非油漆作业人员进行神经行为功能检查。结果：观察组数字广度、手提敏捷度、数字译码、视觉持留、目标追踪-Ⅱ得分均低于对照组（P＜0.05)；困惑情绪状态和数字译码、视觉持留得分随工龄增加显著降低，而平均简单反应时随工龄增加明显延长，P均＜0.05。结论：油漆作业对油漆工神经行为功能的影响可能存在一定的剂量反应关系。     

氯化锂对染铅大鼠神经行为的影响

目的探讨不同浓度氯化锂对染铅大鼠神经行为的影响。方法将大鼠随机分为对照组、染铅组、四个氯化锂组和四个铅+氯化锂组,分别给予普通饲料和含氯化锂(3,30,300和3000mg/kg)的饲料喂养,染铅组和四个铅+氯化锂组饮用体积分数0.2%PbAc2的单蒸水,喂养60d,通过测量大鼠体重和Y-迷宫实验,观察各组大鼠之间学习记忆能力的差别;采用黄递酶(NADPH-d)组织化学染色方法观察各组大鼠海马一氧化氮合酶(NOS)阳性细胞数的差别。结果氯化锂(3,30mg/kg)组大鼠体重增长多于对照组,Y-迷宫实验学会次数均少于对照组,差异均有显著性(P<0.05);氯化锂(300、3000mg/kg)组、染铅组体重增长少于对照组,Y-迷宫实验学会次数均多于对照组,差异均有显著性(P<0.05);与染铅组相比,铅+氯化锂(3,30,300mg/kg)组大鼠体重增量增加,Y-迷宫实验学会次数减少,差异有显著性(P<0.05)。NADPH-d组织化学染色结果示:氯化锂(3,30mg/kg)组大鼠海马一氧化氮合酶(NOS)阳性细胞数明显多于对照组(P<0.05);氯化锂(300、3000mg/kg)组、染铅组则少于正常大鼠(P<0.05);铅+氯化锂(3,30,300,3000mg/kg)组大鼠NOS阳性细胞数均多于染铅组(P<0.05)。结论较低浓度的氯化锂能促进正常大鼠学习记忆能力的提高,而较高浓度的锂则可能损害大鼠的学习记忆能力;铅暴露大鼠学     

Case report: high prenatal bisphenol a exposure and infant neonatal neurobehavior

Context: Most of the U.S. population is exposed to the high-production-volume chemical bisphenol A (BPA), but targetable sources of exposure remain to be determined. Animal studies and one human study suggest that BPA is a neurotoxicant.Case presentation: A mother in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective birth cohort examining prenatal and postnatal environmental toxicants and childhood health outcomes, had a urinary BPA concentration of 583 µg/g creatinine at 27 weeks of pregnancy, which was the highest concentration observed in this cohort (median, 2.0 µg/g creatinine) and the general population. We used prenatal questionnaire data and a follow-up interview to identify potential sources of exposure that included daily plastic use and consumption of canned beverages and foods. Her male infant had a normal newborn neurobehavioral assessment but presented with abnormalities at the 1-month examination that prompted physician referral. Subsequently, the child had normal neurobehavioral testing results at annual evaluations from 1 to 5 years of age.Discussion: Investigations into sources of high gestational urinary BPA concentrations provide an opportunity to identify potential targets for reduction of BPA exposure. This case highlights a potential link between gestational BPA exposure and transient neurobehavioral changes that is hypothesis generating and can serve to alert researchers to potential areas for examination in future studies.Relevance to clinical practice: It is important to educate health care practitioners regarding potential sources of BPA exposure and anticipatory guidance on minimization of exposures during vulnerable periods of development.     

Effectiveness of individualized neurodevelopmental care in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU)

The individual infant's neurodevelopmental process provides an integrative framework for the delivery of medical care needed to assure the infant's survival and quality of outcome. The infant's neurobehavioral functioning and expression provides an opportunity for caregivers to estimate the individual infant's current strengths, vulnerabilities and threshold to disorganization, as well as to identify the infant's strategies in collaborating in his or her best progression. This perspective supports caregivers in seeing themselves in a relationship with the infant, and in considering opportunities to enhance the infant's strengths and reduce apparent stressors in collaboration with the infant and the family. The results of several randomized studies supporting the effectiveness of such a neuro developmental approach to NICU care will be presented, and suggest implications for staff education and nursery-wide implementation.     

Organophosphate pesticide exposure and attention in young Mexican-American children: the CHAMACOS study

Background

Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, well-known neurotoxicants, has been associated with neurobehavioral deficits in children.

Objectives

We investigated whether OP exposure, as measured by urinary dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites in pregnant women and their children, was associated with attention-related outcomes among Mexican-American children living in an agricultural region of California.

Methods

Children were assessed at ages 3.5 years (n = 331) and 5 years (n = 323). Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). We administered the NEPSY-II visual attention subtest to children at 3.5 years and Conners’ Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) at 5 years. The K-CPT yielded a standardized attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Confidence Index score. Psychometricians scored behavior of the 5-year-olds during testing using the Hillside Behavior Rating Scale.

Results

Prenatal DAPs (nanomoles per liter) were nonsignificantly associated with maternal report of attention problems and ADHD at age 3.5 years but were significantly related at age 5 years [CBCL attention problems: β = 0.7 points; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2–1.2; ADHD: β = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.4–2.1]. Prenatal DAPs were associated with scores on the K-CPT ADHD Confidence Index > 70th percentile [odds ratio (OR) = 5.1; 95% CI, 1.7–15.7] and with a composite ADHD indicator of the various measures (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1–10.7). Some outcomes exhibited evidence of effect modification by sex, with associations found only among boys. There was also limited evidence of associations between child DAPs and attention.

Conclusions

In utero DAPs and, to a lesser extent, postnatal DAPs were associated adversely with attention as assessed by maternal report, psychometrician observation, and direct assessment. These associations were somewhat stronger at 5 years than at 3.5 years and were stronger in boys.     

早产儿无脑损伤者神经行为发育的追踪调查

目的探讨早产儿无脑损伤者体格、发育商、社会生活能力的发育。方法选择无异常分娩史头颅CT除外脑损伤早产儿61例。设正常足月顺产儿35例为对照组。分别对2组进行出生后6个月体格、发育商、社会生活能力调查。结果早产儿体格发育、发育商、社会生活能力均落后于对照组(P<0.01,0.05)。A组体质量、身高、头围差于B组,A组发育商正常者较B组少22.4%,社会生活能力A组正常以上占51%,B组占89%。结论早产儿由于过早脱离母体,即使无脑损伤,其体格、神经行为发育仍受到影响;合理的营养及适时的早期教育值得提倡。