ABSTRACT
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are specific neurological disorders that affect the brain, frequently characterised by challenging paediatric behaviour. The current narrative review using PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols, and comprised randomised controlled trials and clinical control trials with gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diets published till 2020. Of the 80 studies selected, 7(8.75%) were included in the review. It was observed that the gluten-free, casein-free diet was safe with therapeutic benefits in autistic children. Therefore, a tailored dietary approach can be a beneficial management regimen. The trials related to utility of gluten-free, casein-free diet among autistic children are sparse, with limited sampling size, and indication of bias in the findings. Therefore, larger cohort studies on gluten-free, casein-free trials are required to provide further insight into the therapeutic benefits of the diet.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic Disorder , Child , Humans , Caseins , Diet, Gluten-Free , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare stress markers and antioxidants in fertile and infertile males, and to explore their effects on reproductive hormones and fertility. METHODS: The cross-sectional case-control study was conducted from July 2017 to July 2018 at the Islamabad Clinic Serving Infertile Couples, Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised male subjects aged 25-55 years. Infertile subjects were the cases, while healthy fertile males acted as the controls. Stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and antioxidants glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 376 subjects, 241(64%) were cases and 135(36%) were controls. Median cortisol, adrenaline, superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels were significantly higher among the cases compared to te controls (p<0.05). Follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels were higher in cases compared to the controls (p=0.05). Mean testosterone level was higher among the controls than the cases (p<0.001). After adjusting for other covariates, every increase of 7 units in cortisol increased the prevalence of infertility by 3% (p=0.001). There was significant interaction between luteinizing hormone and testosterone in the final model (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Stress together with decrease in antioxidants was found to play a significant role in reducing the fertilising potential of male infertile subjects.
Subject(s)
Epinephrine/blood , Glutathione Peroxidase/blood , Hydrocortisone/blood , Infertility, Male , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Superoxide Dismutase/blood , Adult , Antioxidants/analysis , Case-Control Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Gonadal Hormones/blood , Humans , Infertility, Male/blood , Infertility, Male/epidemiology , Infertility, Male/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Pakistan , Reproductive Health , Stress, PsychologicalABSTRACT
This was a cross-sectional study. Survey was conducted from May 2016 to November 2016 among dentalpractitioners from four dental institutions of Karachi, two each from the public and private sector. From public sector, Dow University Hospital Dental Section Ojha Campus and Karachi Medical and Dental College, while from the private sector Baqai Medical University and Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. After taking informed verbal consent, a total of 100 participants were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive analysis was employed for categorical variables using frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study revealed the causes considered most important by the dental practitioners impacting migration abroad. Among the local push factors were bad law and order situation (59%), low salary (54%) and lack of job openings (53%) while local pull factor was mainly family responsibilities (40%). Foreign pull factors were better working environment (56%), high salary (52%) and enhancing knowledge and skills (50%) while the foreign push factor was racism (37%).
Subject(s)
Dentists , Emigration and Immigration , Motivation , Salaries and Fringe Benefits , Adult , Family , Female , Humans , Job Satisfaction , Male , Pakistan , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling , Politics , Private Sector , Public Sector , Racism , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2016 on autistic children at the Autism Unit of Dow University of Health Sciences to compare speech therapy, occupational therapy and combination of both for rehabilitation of autistic children in the selected population. A total of 55 children with autism age range from 1-12 years of both gender and all ethnic groups were recruited. All data was analysed in IBM-SPSS version 23.0. Pearson chi-square test was used to determine association of type of therapy with the diagnosed age of child, gender, mode of delivery, history of vaccination and parent's education. Educated parenthood and a normal behaviour especially by other siblings played a significant role in early detection and referral of autistic child to rehabilitation centre. Moreover, it was observed that a combination of therapies helped in enhancement of social, learning and behavioural skills required for rehabilitation of autistic children.
