Perfect softening of the ferroelectric mode in the isotope-exchanged strontium titanate of SrTi18O3 studied by light scattering.

The mode of the isotope-induced ferroelectric strontium titanate shows a perfect softening at the ferroelectric phase transition temperature , where the frequency of the underdamped mode approaches completely to zero within the instrumental resolution. The spectra of the Raman inactive soft mode have been successfully observed owing to local symmetry breaking and by long-term accumulation of the spectral intensity with a high resolution technique. The mechanism of the phase transition is concluded to be an ideal displacive-type accompanied with perfect softening of the Slater-type polar mode. The difference between the soft mode behavior of and indicates that the origin of the quantum paraelectric state of lies in the quantum fluctuation of the oxide octahedron in the perovskite structure.

[Metabolic changes in aromatic amino acids and monoamines in infantile autism and development of new treatment related to the finding].

A new method for measurement of the turnover rate of aromatic amino acids and related compounds in vivo using stable isotopes was developed. Deuterium-and carbon 13-labeled phenylalanine and deuterium-labeled tryptophan were used as tracers. This method was applied for the analysis of amino acid and amine metabolism in infantile autism. Marked disturbances of uptake of deuterated phenylalanine and tryptophan from intestine into blood were found in a portion of autistic patients (group A). In another group of the patients a remarkable decrease of turnover of tyrosine in blood was found (group B). This phenomenon was confirmed by an experiment using carbon 13 labeled phenylalanine. These findings might suggest that supply of tyrosine and free tryptophan to the brain (in group A) or supply of tyrosine (group B) to the brain might be decreased. We postulated that in some of autistic patients there might exist decreases in synthesis of catecholamine or serotonin. Based on the hypothesis, we started a new treatment with L-DOPA and 5 HTP in small doses, and found significant effects in some patients. However, in some, the amino acids caused marked aggravation of the symptoms. Recently, Hayaishi and his colleagues reported that R-tetrahydrobiopterin (R-THBP) could enhance biosynthesis of catecholamine and serotonin in the brain. Therefore, we started a clinical trial concerning effects of R-THBP. In the beginning, 17 cases were treated and patients younger than 5 years old showed marked improvement. Then, a double blind trial with inactive placebo was performed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Tokyo Child Development Schedule. I. Test-retest reliability and concurrent validity.

The Tokyo Child Development Schedule (TCDS) consisting of 140 items divided into seven areas--gross motor, fine motor, self-help, play, socialization, speech and comprehension-cognition--was developed. Each item is checked by a caretaker of a child with a three-point scale: pass, sometimes pass and fail. All of the seven areas and the entire portion of the TCDS exhibited a high grade of test-retest reliability. All but two of the items showed good agreement between the results of the two-time ratings. In 53 children with or without autistic features, the total scores on the TCDS and mental ages on the Japanese version of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale demonstrated the value of correlation coefficient (r) of 0.779.

Follow-up study of a nation-wide neonatal metabolic screening program in Japan. A collaborative study group of neonatal screening for inborn errors of metabolism in Japan.

A nationwide neonatal screening program for phenylketonuria (PKU), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), homocystinuria, histidinemia and galactosemia was started in Japan in 1977. The total number of infants screened had reached 6,311,754 by March, 1982. A follow-up study revealed the incidence of the disease in Japan: 1/108,823 for PKU; 1/450,840 for hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA); 1/1,577,939 for biopterin deficiency; 1/525,980 for MSUD; 1/1,051,959 for homocystinuria; 1/8,371 for histidinemia, and 1/788,969 for galactosemia type 1. The incidences of PKU, HPA, homocystinuria, and galactosemia (type 1) were found to be markedly low in Japan as compared with those in Caucasian countries. There was no great difference in the incidence of MSUD between both. On the other hand, the incidence of histidinemia was higher in Japan. It was found that most of the patients with PKU, HPA, MSUD, homocystinuria, or galactosemia are developing normally due to the early initiation of dietary treatment. These results clearly indicate that the neonatal mass screening program plays a great role in preventing the occurrence of handicapped children.

Influence of pimozide on hypothalamo-pituitary function in children with behavioral disorders.

Hypothalamo-pituitary functions were examined in thirteen children with behavioral disorders (six with hyperkinesia, four with autism, two with tic and one with schizophrenia) before and during treatment with pimozide, an antidopaminergic drug. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) basal serum PRL level (24.5 +/- 4.2 ng/ml) during pimozide treatment was significantly higher than that (12.4 +/- 3.2 ng/ml) before treatment. Hyperresponse of PRL to TSH releasing hormone (TRH) was observed in five (three with hyperkinesia, one with tic and one with autism) of the thirteen patients before treatment and in seven (four with hyperkinesia, two with autism and one with tic) during treatment. Mean TSH response during treatment was not significantly different from that before treatment. However, three of the four autistic children showed hyperresponse of TSH to TRH before treatment, whereas only one also showed a hyperresponse during treatment. The pimozide treatment had no demonstrable influence on GH or cortisol secretion in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, or on serum T4 and T3 levels.