Typical children's responsivity patterns of the tactile and vestibular systems.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to investigate the responsivity patterns of typical 3- and 4-year-old Israeli children to tactile or vestibular stimulation, or both, and to examine whether differences in these patterns exist between them with respect to age and gender. METHOD: The study sample consisted of one hundred seventeen 3-year-old and one hundred forty-three 4-year-old healthy Israeli children (N=260). Mothers of these children completed a comprehensive tactile and vestibular responsivity questionnaire. RESULTS: The subjects' tactile and vestibular responsivity scores were neither hyperresponsive nor hyporesponsive. In addition, neither age nor gender was found to significantly differentiate between respective participant groups for hypo- or hyperresponsive behaviors. CONCLUSION: Typical Israeli children can be characterized by moderate responsivities to tactile and vestibular stimulation. Responsivity to tactile and vestibular input was similar for 3- and 4-year-olds, across genders.     

Responses of preschool children with and without ADHD to sensory events in daily life.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare parents' perceptions of the responses of their preschool children, with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to sensory events in daily life in Israel. In addition, the relationship between levels of hyperactivity and sensory deficits was examined. METHOD: The Sensory Profile Questionnaire (SP) was completed by mothers of forty-eight 4- to 6-year-old children with ADHD, and mothers of 46 children without disabilities. A matched group comparison design was used to identify possible differences in sensory processing. RESULTS: Based on the measure of mothers' perceptions, children with ADHD demonstrated statistically significant differences from children without ADHD in their sensory responsiveness as reflected in 6 out of 9 factor scores (p < .001-.05), and on their sensory processing, modulation, and behavioral and emotional responses, as reflected in 11 out of 14 section scores (p < .001-.05). Scores on the SP yielded statistically significant low to moderate correlations with scores on the hyperactive scale of the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire (r = .28-.66). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study suggest that young children with ADHD may be at increased risk of deficits in various sensory processing abilities, over and above the core symptoms of ADHD. Early identification and treatment of sensory processing deficits from a young age may extend our ability to support the successful performance of children with ADHD in meaningful and productive occupations.     

Prediction of school performance using the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP): a validity study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) to predict academic performance of Israeli preschoolers after a period of 5 to 7 years. METHOD: Thirty children who were classified according to the MAP as preschoolers at risk (n= 15) and not at risk (n= 15) for pre-academic problems were tracked after 5 to 7 years. Follow-up evaluations were done on motor, visual-motor integrative, and cognitive performance components; reading and handwriting academic performance areas; and a variety of measures taken to establish overall school functional status. RESULTS: Results indicate that children classified by the MAP as preschoolers at risk performed significantly worse 5 to 7 years later on visual-motor, cognitive, and reading and handwriting tests than those preschoolers classified not at risk and demonstrated reduced overall school functional status. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the MAP can predict academic performance even over a 5-year to 7-year interval. Furthermore, by linking academic performance data to performance components of children in different cultures, our investigation contributes to the overall understanding of children's functioning.     

The Relation Between NOD2/CARD15 Mutations and the Prevalence and Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Crohn’s Disease: Lessons from the Israeli Arab Crohn’s Disease Cohort

The prevalence of Crohn’s disease depends on geographic location and racial background. Arg702Trp, Gly908Arg, and Leu1007fsinsC mutations in the NOD2/CARD15 gene are associated with Crohn’s disease in Caucasians. The mutation rate among Israeli Jewish patients is 27%–41%. The prevalence of Crohn’s disease is much lower in the Israeli Arab compared to the Israeli Jewish population. We studied the NOD2/CARD15 mutation rate and disease phenotype (according to the Vienna classification) among the Israeli Arabs and compared them with those in an Israeli Jewish cohort. We recruited 66 Israeli Arab patients and 122 ethnically matched controls. Five patients (8.2%) and three controls (2.3%) carried one NOD2/CARD15 mutation. The phenotypic characteristics of the Arab and Jewish patients were very similar. We conclude that NOD2/CARD15 mutations do not contribute to Crohn’s susceptibility in the Israeli Arab population and suggest that NOD2/CARD15 mutations have an important effect on Crohn’s prevalence within a specific population but not on the phenotype. R. Safadi, MD, and R. Eliakim, MD, share senior authorship     

彩色多普勒血流显像在非典型盆腔炎性包块诊断中的应用

目的 探讨彩色多普勒血流显像在非典型盆腔炎性包块诊断中的价值.方法 对手术病理证实的10例非典型盆腔炎患者包块的二维图像、血流分布、频谱特征及间接征象(粘连及压缩性)进行回顾性分析.结果 本组10例非典型盆腔炎性包块中确诊7例,误诊3例.结论 彩色多普勒血流显像结合间接征象(粘连及压缩性)在非典型盆腔炎性包块诊断中具有重要价值.     

泰安市气传致敏真菌调查

为掌握本地区空气中飘散的致敏真菌种类、数量及其季节分布规律，作者采用曝片和曝皿培养方法，对山东省泰安市气传致敏真菌进行了为期一年的调查。曝片共收集到３０个属的真菌孢子，曝皿培养共鉴定出４２个属种的真菌．对指导真菌过敏病人的诊断和防治有重要临床意义。     

Freeze-dried agarose scaffolds with uniaxial channels stimulate and guide linear axonal growth following spinal cord injury

Although several approaches to stimulate axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury have succeeded in stimulating robust growth of axons into a lesion site, the growth is generally highly disorganized, losing the distinct arrangement of axonal tracts within the spinal cord. Previously described freeze-dried agarose scaffolds, composed of individual, uniaxial channels extending through their entire length, were prepared with and without recombinant Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) protein and tested in an adult rat model of spinal cord injury to determine whether regenerating axons could be guided across a site of injury in an organized fashion. After 1 month, both the cellular and axonal responses within and around scaffolds were evaluated. Scaffolds were found to be well integrated with host tissue, individual channels were penetrated by cells, and axons grew through scaffolds in a strikingly linear fashion. Furthermore, the regeneration was significantly augmented by the incorporation of BDNF protein into the walls and lumen of the scaffold. These findings clearly demonstrate that axonal regeneration can be organized and guided across a site of injury.