Religion and HIV diagnosis among Africans living in London.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the paper was to describe the association of religion with HIV outcomes in newly diagnosed Africans living in London. METHODS: A survey of newly diagnosed HIV-positive Africans attending 15 HIV treatment centres across London was carried out between April 2004 and February 2006. Confidential self-completed questionnaires were used, linked to clinical records. Bivariate analyses were conducted to ascertain whether religious beliefs were associated with late diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy, and immunological and virological outcome 6 months post diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 246 Black Africans were eligible and included in the analysis: 62.6% were women, and the median age was 34 years. The median CD4 count at diagnosis was 194 cells/µL (range 0-1334 cells/µL) and 75.6% presented late, as defined as a CD4 count < 350 cells/µL. Most participants were religious: non-Roman Catholic Christians (55.7%), Roman Catholics (35.2%) and Muslims (6.1%). Only 1.2% stated that they did not have a religion. Participants who attended religious services at least monthly were more likely to believe that 'faith alone can cure HIV' than those who attended less frequently (37.7% vs. 15.0%; P = 0.002). A small proportion (5.2%) believed that taking antiretroviral therapy implied a lack of faith in God. Bivariate analysis found no relationship between religiousness (as measured using frequency of attendance at religious services and religious attitudes or beliefs) and late diagnosis, changes in CD4 count/viral load 6 months post diagnosis, or initiation of antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Strong religious beliefs about faith and healing are unlikely to act as a barrier to accessing HIV testing or antiretroviral treatment for Black Africans living in London.

Blink rate in boys with fragile X syndrome: preliminary evidence for altered dopamine function.

BACKGROUND: Dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motor and cognitive functioning, can be non-invasively measured via observation of spontaneous blink rates. Blink rates have been studied in a number of clinical conditions including schizophrenia, autism, Parkinsons, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder with results implicating either hyper or hypo dopaminergic states. METHODS: This study examined spontaneous blink rate in boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Blink rates of boys (4-8 years old) with FXS (n = 6) were compared with those of age-matched typically developing boys (n = 6) during active and passive tasks. Blink rates (blinks per minute) for each task were compared between the two groups. Then, the relation between blink measures and core FXS-related features [problem behaviours, arousal, fmr 1 protein (FMRP)] were examined within the group of boys with FXS. RESULTS: Blink rate in boys with FXS was significantly higher than typically developing boys during passive tasks. Within the FXS group, there were significant correlations between blink rate and problem behaviours and physiological arousal (i.e. heart activity) but not with FMRP. CONCLUSIONS: Observed differences in spontaneous blink rate between boys with and without FXS and the relation between blink rate and physiological and behavioural measures in boys with FXS suggests that further work examining dopamine dysfunction as a factor in the pathophysiology of FXS may be warranted.