Plasma Oxytocin in Children with Autism and Its Correlations with Behavioral Parameters in Children and Parents

OBJECTIVE: Oxytocin (OT) has been implicated to play an important role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) etiology. We aimed to find out the differences in plasma OT levels between children with autism and healthy children, the associations of OT levels with particular autism symptoms and the associations of particular parental autistic traits with their ASD children OT levels. METHODS: We included 19 boys with autism and 44 healthy age-matched boys. OT levels were analyzed by ELISA method. Children with autism were scored by Childhood Autism Rating Scale and Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI), adjusted research version. Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Systemizing Quotient (SQ) and Empathizing Quotient were completed by parents of children with autism. RESULTS: Children with autism had significantly lower plasma OT levels than controls. OT levels positively correlated with ADI Reciprocal Interaction and Communication scores. AQ and SQ of fathers positively correlated with children plasma OT level. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis of OT deficiency in autism. The "paradoxical" associations of OT levels and social skills in children with autism indicate disturbances at various levels of OT system. We first reported associations of OT levels in children with autism and behavioral measures in fathers indicating that OT abnormalities stay between parental autistic traits and autism symptoms in their children.

The Effect of Methylphenidate on Neurological Soft Signs in ADHD

OBJECTIVE: Neurological soft signs are very common in children with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the first line medication of this disorder is methylphenidate. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of methylphenidate on the neurological soft signs in children and adolescents suffering from ADHD depending on the dose of methylphenidate. METHODS: Thirty five patients with ADHD were investigated by the ADHD RS-IV parent version questionnaire and the Revised Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs before treatment adjustment and after four weeks of methylphenidate medication. The changes in hyperactivity symptomatology, neurological soft signs during therapy and the influence of the methylphenidate dose were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A significant decrease in hyperactivity symptomatology was found after one month of methylphenidate medication (p=0.0001) and significant decrease in neurological soft signs was demonstrated in 21 from a total of 26 items (p<0.05). Correlation analysis showed no relationship between the dose of methylphenidate and the improvement of neurological soft signs. Similarly, the improvement of ADHD symptomatology had not correlation with the improvement of neurological soft signs. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the positive effect of methylphenidate on neurological soft signs in which improvement occurred independently of the dose, indicating that their progress may be due to methylphenidate treatment of any dose. The unrelated effect of methylphenidate on the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and neurological soft signs suggest that methylphenidate might be useful in the therapy of clumsy child syndrome and in ADHD treatment of non-responders.

Dementia still diagnosed too late - data from the Czech Republic

The goal of the study is to evaluate the sensitivity of Czech physicians to the early diagnosis of dementia in patients with memory impairment. A retrospective observational study was designed. We have reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who have been hospitalized for the first time due to dementia of any type at the Kromeriz Mental hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013 [24-month period]. Pluralistic methods combining the qualitative and quantitative approach were used in this study. Dementia of any type was diagnosed in 125 patients in the monitored period. The mean time between patient memory complaints and his / her admission to our facility for their first hospitalization due to dementia was 7.1 years [+- 3.7 years]. Most patients with dementia had no prior outpatient treatment of their memory impairment [56.2%]; a minority of patients [43.8%] had treatment of their memory impairment by an outpatient physician. The sensitivity of Czech physicians to the early diagnosis of dementia is very low. Any delay in starting the treatment of dementia means a worsened effectiveness of this treatment, a worsened quality of life of patients with dementia and their caregivers. Our recommendations for both the early diagnosis and treatment of dementia should be involved in guidelines and should become a part of the pregraduate and postgraduate education of all physicians