Modulation of attention by socio-emotional scenes in children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundAbnormal attentional processes to socially relevant information may underlie social impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To examine how these processes are modulated by the emotional salience of the stimuli, we studied the attentional biases to social scenes (happy, sad, and threatening) in ASD children.MethodAn emotional dot-probe task was applied to children (from 6 to 12 years old) with Autism Spectrum Disorder without additional language and/or intellectual impairments (ASD; n = 25) and age/sex-matched controls (n = 25).ResultsASD children showed an attentional bias toward threatening scenes while typically developing children tended to direct their attention toward sad scenes. There were no differences between groups for happy scenes.ConclusionsThreatening situations captured greater attention in ASD individuals than in the control participants. Thus, abnormal attention to emotionally relevant situations may negatively affect the ability of ASD children to adapt cognitively and emotionally, particularly in threatening situations.     

精神分裂症患者梦威胁模拟水平与敌意归因偏向及精神症状的关系

目的 探讨精神分裂症患者梦威胁模拟水平与敌意归因偏向及精神症状的关系。方法 选取2017年6月至2019年5月在安徽医科大学附属心理医院精神科住院治疗的精神分裂症患者68例为患者组,另选取本院及周边社区的70例健康志愿者作为对照组。采用梦威胁事件问卷(DTQ)评估患者组和对照组的梦威胁模拟水平,采用中文版模棱两可、目的和敌意问卷(AIHQ-C)评估患者组和对照组的敌意归因偏向,采用阳性和阴性症状量表(PANSS)评估精神分裂症患者的精神症状。结果 患者组DTQ分、AIHQ-C的各项评分均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。Spearman相关分析显示,精神分裂症患者DTQ得分与敌意偏向总分(r=0.529,P＜0.05)、责备偏向总分(r=0.398,P＜0.001)、攻击偏向总分(r=0.442,P＜0.05)及阳性症状分(r=0.395,P＜0.05)呈正相关。敌意偏向总分(r=0.507,P＜0.05)、责备偏向总分(r=0.426,P＜0.05)及攻击偏向总分(r=0.481,P＜0.05)与阳性症状分均呈正相关。精神分裂症患者DTQ总分(r=-0.272,P＜0.05)、敌意偏向总分(r=-0.299,P＜0.05)及责备偏向总分(r=-0.397,P＜0.05)与阴性症状分均呈负相关。回归分析显示,精神分裂症患者的敌意偏向与阳性症状均可以预测梦的威胁模拟水平。结论 精神分裂症患者梦的威胁模拟水平过度激活,敌意归因偏向明显,阳性症状及敌意归因偏向均对梦威胁模拟水平有一定影响。     

新冠肺炎疫情下儿童青少年焦虑症状检出率及影响因素

目的探讨新冠肺炎(COVID-19)疫情期间居家儿童青少年焦虑症状检出率及危险因素,为给予其心理支持提供参考。方法 2020年2月13日-14日,采用电子问卷调查方式,由安徽省7～16岁的中小学生在线填写一般资料和儿童焦虑性情绪障碍筛查表(SCARED)。SCARED评分≥23分为焦虑组,SCARED评分23分为非焦虑组。采用单因素分析、二元Logistic回归分析儿童青少年焦虑症状的危险因素。结果共回收有效问卷5 392份,其中焦虑组1 045人(19. 4%),非焦虑组4 347人(80. 6%);单因素分析显示,焦虑检出率在性别、年龄、所在年级、身体健康状况、第一次了解此次疫情的途径、负面信息占比、不实信息占比上差异均有统计学意义(P均0. 05);二元Logistic回归分析显示,女生(OR=1. 423,P0. 01)、大龄儿童(OR=1. 411,P0. 01)、目前的身体状况不佳(OR=1. 620,P0. 01)、高负面信息占比(OR=1. 240,P0. 01)、高不实信息占比(OR=1. 265,P 0. 01)是儿童青少年存在焦虑症状的独立危险因素。结论新冠肺炎疫情期间居家隔离儿童青少年焦虑检出率未见明显增高,其中女性、大龄儿童、目前身体状况不佳、不良疫情信息是焦虑症状的危险因素。     

External environmental agents influence telomere length and telomerase activity by modulating internal cellular processes: Implications in human aging

External environment affects cellular physiological processes and impact the stability of our genome. The most important structural components of our linear chromosomes which endure the impact by these agents, are the chromosomal ends called telomeres. Telomeres preserve the integrity of our genome by preventing end to end fusions and telomeric loss through by inhibiting DNA damage response (DDR) activation. This is accomplished by the presence of a six membered shelterin complex at telomeres. Further, telomeres cannot be replicated by normal DNA polymerase and require a special enzyme called telomerase which is expressed only in stem cells, few immune cells and germ cells. Telomeres are rich in guanine content and thus become extremely prone to damage arising due to physiological processes like oxidative stress and inflammation. External environmental factors which includes various physical, biological and chemical agents also affect telomere homeostasis by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation. In the present review, we highlight the effect of these external factors on telomerase activity and telomere length. We also discuss how the external agents affect the physiological processes, thus modulating telomere stability. Further, we describe its implication in the development of aging and its related pathologies.     

Progressive cortical and sub-cortical alterations in patients with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis

Journal of Neurology - Advanced structural analyses are increasingly being highly valued to uncover pathophysiological understanding of anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis....     

Accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation broadly ameliorates symptoms and cognition in Alzheimer's disease: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundDeficits in associative memory (AM) are the earliest and most prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and demonstrate a clear cause of distress for patients and their families.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to determine AM enhancements following accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) in patients with AD.MethodsIn a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled design, iTBS was administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of patients with AD for 14 days. Measurements included AM (primary outcome) and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Patients were evaluated at baseline, following the intervention (week 2), and 8 weeks after treatment cessation (week 10).ResultsSixty patients with AD were initially enrolled; 47 completed the trial. The active group displayed greater AM improvements compared with the sham group at week 2 (P = 0.003), which was sustained at week 10. Furthermore, higher Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores at baseline were associated with greater AM improvements at weeks 2 and 10. For the independent iTBS group, this correlation predicted improvements in AM (P < 0.001) and identified treatment responders with 92% accuracy. Most of the neuropsychological tests were markedly improved in the active group. In particular, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and MMSE in the active group increased by 2.8 and 2.3 points, respectively, at week 2, while there was no marked change in the sham group.ConclusionIn the present study, accelerated iTBS of the DLPFC demonstrated an effective and well-tolerated complementary treatment for patients with AD, especially for individuals with relatively high MMSE scores.     

以阳性症状为主精神分裂症患者的静息态脑功能网络特征

目的:探索以阳性症状为主的精神分裂症患者的静息态脑功能网络特征。方法:纳入符合DSM-IV精神分裂症诊断标准的以阳性症状为主患者100例和70例健康成人,采用阳性和阴性症状量表(PANSS)评估患者的临床症状,并完成静息态磁共振成像扫描。通过独立成分分析(ICA)方法比较两组听觉网络、执行网络和凸显网络间的功能连接及网络内功能连接,并对两组间存在差异的脑功能连接指标与精神病性症状和认知功能得分进行相关性分析。结果:与对照组相比,患者组听觉网络与凸显网络间的功能连接增加[(0.49±0.27)vs.(0.38±0.23)],同时听觉网络与执行网络[左侧:(-0.10±0.22 vs.(0.002±0.21);右侧:(-0.05±0.24)vs.(0.05±0.21)]及凸显网络与执行网络间功能连接[(0.001±0.28)vs.(0.11±0.24)]降低。网络内功能连接分析显示,患者组听觉网络的左侧颞上回功能连接降低,以及执行网络的脑岛和顶下小叶脑区功能连接降低。相关分析发现,前凸显网络和右执行网络间的功能连接与冲动性行为呈负相关(r=-0.24,P<0.05),听觉网络和右执行...     

A computer-based expert system designs and analyzes a 2(k−p) fractional factorial design for the formulation optimization of novel multicomponent liposomes

A computer-based technique based on a 2^(k−p) fractional factorial design was applied for the optimization of recently described multicomponent protective liposomal formulations. These formulations contain sodium ascorbate (vitamin C) as a model drug sensitive to photochemical oxidation, as well as oil red O and/or oxybenzone as oil soluble light absorbers, incorporated into the lipid bilayers and sulisobenzone as a water soluble light absorber incorporated into the aqueous phase of liposomes. The three light absorbers (present or absent) incorporated in multilamellar liposomes and the drug in free or in complexed with α-cyclodextrin form comprised the four factors of the system. The stabilization ratio and the percentage entrapment in the liposomes of the vitamin were the two response variables of the system to be optimized. The entrapment values were calculated for all the materials either spectrophotometrically or by using second order derivative spectrophotometry. The response variables were predicted by multiple regression equations comprising combinations of the four formulation factors. Both the higher entrapment and the higher protection for the drug should characterize the optimum formulation.     

131例神经梅毒患者临床特征及实验室检查结果分析

【摘要】 目的 深入了解神经梅毒在男女性之间以及有无神经症状患者之间的特征差异,为神经梅毒的防控、临床诊断与治疗提供依据。方法 回顾分析2015年6月至2019年12月安徽医科大学第一附属医院皮肤性病科131例神经梅毒住院患者的临床表现和实验室检查结果,根据性别以及神经/精神症状分组。组间比较采用独立双样本t检验或Mann?Whitney U检验,分类变量计数资料采用χ2检验和Fisher精确检验,比较不同组别之间临床特征及实验室指标差异。结果 131例患者中,无症状神经梅毒72例（无症状组）,有症状神经梅毒59例（有症状组）。有症状组的既往驱梅治疗比例（10.17%）显著低于无症状组（98.61%）（OR = 0.002,P < 0.001）。男性患者和有症状患者的首诊误诊率分别为50.00%和89.83%,分别高于女性患者（24.49%,OR = 3.08,P = 0.004）和无症状患者（0,OR = 13.00,P < 0.001）。男性有症状患者比例（57.32%）显著高于女性患者（14.64%）（OR = 4.14,P = 0.003）,脑脊液甲苯胺红不加热血清试验（TRUST）阳性率（52.44%）显著高于女性患者（26.54%）（OR = 3.05,P = 0.004）,脑脊液总蛋白含量升高（> 0.5 g/L）者的比例（79.27%）高于女性（59.18%）（OR = 2.64,P = 0.01）,脑脊液总蛋白含量［（0.76 ± 0.41） g/L］高于女性［（0.56 ± 0.25） g/L,P = 0.002］,并且男性脑部核磁共振成像异常检出率（72.22%）高于女性（44.90%）（OR = 2.13,P = 0.039）。有症状女性患者的确诊年龄［（50.82 ± 9.31）岁］大于无症状女性患者［（42.30 ± 12.18）岁］（P?=?0.038）。有症状神经梅毒患者脑脊液TRUST阳性率（55.93%）高于无症状患者（31.94%）（OR = 2.70,P = 0.006）,脑脊液总蛋白水平［（0.79 ± 0.46） g/L］显著高于无症状患者［（0.60 ± 0.24） g/L,P = 0.003］。结论 神经梅毒首诊误诊率高;男性患者病情较女性患者严重;既往驱梅治疗史、性别和年龄因素在神经梅毒病程发展过程中可能起一定作用。     

Elevated Rates of Restraint and Seclusion in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients in China and Their Associated Factors

Child Psychiatry & Human Development - To investigate the rate of restraint and seclusion (R&amp;S) use in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients in China and to examine factors...