The development and implication of an observation tool for recognizing symbolic acts in infants between 6 and 18 months old

This study reports on the development of new motor and behavioural indicators for recognizing symbolic acts among infants. Following five infants between the ages of 6 and 18 months and their ability to use an object in novel way yielded four levels of action, based on the number of objects and actions combined in each symbolic act. Employing Baldwin et al.’s [(2001). Infants parse dynamic action. Child Development, 72(3), 708–717] method for verifying that the infants intend to use an object in novel way yielded behavioural indexes that enabled verifying infants’ intention from the pre-beginning phase for both complete and partial acts. Following an extensive range of subjects (N?=?14; from six to eighteen months), reveals that first symbolic acts are visible at six months of age and until 15 months of age infants preform mainly single-object play. The discussion addresses symbolic acts’ developmental pattern and emphasizes the dynamic fashion that symbolic play may investigate with the current research tool.     

COVID-19-Impfintention von Eltern bezogen auf ihre Kinder

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Mit Beginn der Impfkampagne hat eine neue Phase der Bewältigung der Coronapandemie begonnen. Zulassung und Empfehlung...     

Genetic inactivation of Nrf2 prevents clonal expansion of initiated cells in a nutritional model of rat hepatocarcinogenesis

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Single-dose metyrapone test at 06.00 h: an accurate method for assessment of pituitary-adrenal reserve

One dose of metyrapone (1.5g) administered at 06.00 h, with subsequent measurement of 11-deoxycortisol and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) levels in plasma at 12.00 and 14.00 h, allowed accurate assessment of the pituitary-adrenal reserve. Normal response was defined as achieving a serum 17-OHCS level of more than 10.0 micrograms/100 ml and a 11-deoxycortisol level of more than 6.0 micrograms/100 ml at either 12.00 or 14.00 h. These criteria are based on a group of 18 persons with normal pituitary-adrenal axis, and 86 additional cases responded in this normal range. In this group of 104 subjects, 11-deoxycortisol levels rose to 9.2 +/- 3.5 micrograms/100 ml at noon and 17-OHCS levels to 15.4 +/- 4.7 micrograms/100 ml at 14.00 h. Post-metyrapone 17-OHCS levels were significantly higher than normal cortisol levels at these times (P less than 0.001) and than those observed at 08.00 h on the day of the test, demonstrating stimulation of adrenal corticoid production in addition to blockade of cortisol production by metyrapone. Thirty-one patients found to suffer from secondary adrenal failure showed impaired response. All these patients had limited pituitary-adrenal reserve, either proven by other pituitary-adrenal tests or implicated by severe pituitary disease.     

The effects of perinatal hypoxia on the behavioral,neurochemical, and neurohistological toxicity of the metabolic inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid

3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) neurotoxicity and long-term effects of perinatal hypoxia were evaluated in 18 adult rats. Hypoxia-insulted (I) and noninsulted (NI) rats were delivered by cesarean section. Hypoxic insult was effected by submerging dissected uterine horns in warmed saline for 15 min. NI rats were delivered from the adjacent nonsubmerged horns. At postnatal day 90, I and NI rats were trained to perform tasks thought to measure behaviors dependent upon aspects of time estimation (TE), motivation, and learning. At 12 months of age, rats were injected i.p. with escalating doses of 3-NPA (5 mg/kg/day to a maximum of 30 mg/kg/day) immediately after each test session and sacrificed at the end of treatment. Additional male rats were used as untreated controls. Although 3-NPA produced a dose-dependent impairment of performance in each task, the effects were qualitatively similar for each group. A significant difference between I and NI rats was, however, observed in the TE task where NI rats completed less of the task at high doses of 3-NPA compared to I rats. Compared to untreated controls, dopamine concentrations were decreased in caudate nucleus of both I and NI rats after 3-NPA. Specific areas most frequently damaged included cerebral cortex, hippocampal subfield CA1, thalamus, caudate nucleus, and the cerebellum. Lesions usually were less extensive in the I rather than NI members of a littermate pair, suggesting a possible protective effect of perinatal hypoxia against subsequent 3-NPA neurotoxicity.     

The Evidence for the Role of Nutraceuticals in the Management of Pediatric Migraine: a Review

Purpose of Review

Nutraceuticals are a form of complementary and alternative medicine that is commonly used by children and adolescents with migraine. In this review, observational studies, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on the efficacy and safety of single compound nutraceuticals for the management of migraine in children and adolescents were identified through a literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and EBM Reviews—Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Recent Findings

Twenty-one studies were reviewed, of which 11 were observational studies, 7 were randomized controlled trials, and 3 were systematic reviews. Six different nutraceuticals were included in the review: vitamin D, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, butterbur, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All but three of the studies assessed the role of nutraceuticals in migraine prevention, while three studies evaluated the role of intravenous magnesium for acute migraine management. Overall, the quality and size of the studies were limited.

Summary

Due to low quality evidence and limited studies, no definite conclusions can be drawn on the efficacy of nutraceuticals for the treatment of pediatric migraine. Future studies are warranted in order to establish evidence upon which to define the role of nutraceuticals in this patient population.