Implicaciones éticas de la identificación del potencial atlético infantil mediante pruebas genéticas / Ethical implications of the identification of children´s athletic potential through genetic testing

Introducción: La irrupción de la investigación genética en la esfera del deporte ha permitido la localización en el genoma de un considerable número de genes implicados en el rendimiento deportivo y, con ello, el desarrollo de tecnologías genéticas orientadas a la identificación del potencial atlético en niños, cuya aplicación, dada su relativa juventud, debe ser sometida al escrutinio de la comunidad científica desde el prisma de la ética. Objetivo: Evaluar, desde una perspectiva ética, el uso de tecnologías genéticas en la identificación del potencial atlético en niños. Material y métodos: Para la elaboración de la presente revisión, además de la consulta de publicaciones no seriadas, se efectuó una pesquisa en la base de datos Scopus. Resultados: En la actualidad se conocen más de 200 marcadores genéticos relacionados con la predisposición para la aptitud física y al menos 120 vinculados directamente con el rendimiento atlético de élite, información que ha sido utilizada por numerosas compañías para desarrollar los llamados Tests Directos al Consumidor, que pretenden identificar el potencial atlético en niños a partir de su genotipo, sin necesidad de consultar a un especialista. Conclusiones: El uso de tecnologías genéticas en la determinación del potencial atlético en niños no solo viola el espíritu del deporte, sino que también tiene el potencial de causar efectos nocivos en el individuo a nivel psicológico y social; razones por las que es éticamente inadmisible su uso en futuros atletas(AU)

Introduction: The emergence of genetic research in the field of sports has allowed the location of the genome of a considerable number of genes involved in sports performance and thus, the development of genetic technologies aimed at the identification of the athletic potential in children whose application, given its relative youth, should be subject to the review of the scientific community through the prism of ethics. Objective: To evaluate, from an ethical perspective, the use of genetic technologies in the identification of the athletic potential in children. Materials and methods: A search in Scopus database and the consultation of non-serial publications were carried out for the development of this review. Results: Currently, there are more than 200 genetic markers related to the predisposition for physical fitness and, at least, 120 of them are directly linked to elite athletic performance. This information has been used by many companies to develop the so-called Direct-to-Consumer Tests, which aim to identify the athletic potential in children from their genotype, without any need to consult a specialist. Conclusions: The use of genetic technologies in the determination of athletic potential in children not only violates the spirit of sport, but also has the potential to cause harmful effects on the individual at psychological and social levels, reasons why their use is ethically inadmissible in future athletes(AU)

[The drawing as a therapeutic mediation tool for gifted children]. / Le dessin comme médiation thérapeutique pour les enfants intellectuellement précoces.

Intellectual precocity arouses a number of preconceived ideas. While it labels the children concerned as gifted and destined to become exceptional adults, it confines and prescribes and does not guarantee academic success. Based on the hypothesis of the suffering of these children, mediation through drawing is a valuable therapeutic tool.

Exceptional verbal intelligence after hemispherotomy in a child with Rasmussen encephalitis.

We report a longitudinal case study of a left-handed girl who underwent left hemispherotomy at 7 years for Rasmussen encephalitis (RE). Presurgical evaluation showed mild hemiparesis, no visual defect, and light neuropsychological impairment with short-term memory weakness. Language fMRI showed a right hemispheric dominance. Postoperatively, the patient exhibited right hemiplegia and hemianopsia but preserved intellectual capacities. She became seizure-free, and antiepileptic medication was discontinued. Long-term follow-up showed very high verbal intelligence at 11 years of age (VCI of 155) and improvement in working memory as well as language and reading abilities. Furthermore, a significant visuoverbal discrepancy became increasingly pronounced. Thus, early surgical treatment of epilepsy avoided the global cognitive deterioration usually associated with RE. Finally, such a high level of verbal functioning combined with low spatial reasoning with a single hemisphere provides additional information on the neurocognitive profile of children with RE after hemispherotomy.