Birth Order and Sibling Sex Ratio in a Population with High Fertility: Are Turkish Male to Female Transsexuals Different?

Western studies have consistently found that androphilic (sexually attracted to men) male-to-female transsexuals have a later birth order and a relative excess of brothers compared with appropriate control participants. However, non-Western studies on birth order and sibling sex ratio in androphilic males (transsexual or non-transsexual) are rare. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that androphilic male-to-female transsexuals have a late birth order and a relative excess of brothers in a non-Western culture with a higher fertility rate. The participants were 60 androphilic male-to-female transsexuals and 61 male heterosexual controls. The transsexual participants had significantly more older brothers than the control participants, but the groups did not differ in their numbers of older sisters, younger brothers, or younger sisters. The foregoing pattern is usually referred to as the "fraternal birth order effect." Slater's and Berglin's Indexes both showed that the mean birth order of the control participants was very close to that expected from a random sample drawn from a demographically stable population whereas the mean birth order of the transsexual participants was later. A measure of sibship composition, brothers/all siblings, showed that the transsexual group had a higher proportion of male siblings compared with the control group. In conclusion, the present study found that Turkish androphilic male-to-female transsexuals show the same high fraternal birth order that has been found in comparable androphilic samples in Western Europe, North America, and the South Pacific, which suggests a common underlying biological causal mechanism.

Association among SNAP-25 gene DdeI and MnlI polymorphisms and hemodynamic changes during methylphenidate use: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interaction of treatment-related hemodynamic changes with genotype status for Synaptosomal associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) gene in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on and off single dose short-acting methylphenidate treatment with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHOD: A total of 15 right-handed adults and 16 right-handed children with DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD were evaluated. Ten milligrams of short-acting methylphenidate was administered in a crossover design. RESULTS: Participants with SNAP-25 DdeI T/T genotype had decreased right deoxyhemoglobin ([HHb]) with treatment. SNAP-25 MnlI genotype was also associated with right deoxyhemoglobin ([HbO2]) and [HHb] changes as well as left [HHb] change. When the combinations of these genotypes were taken into account, the participants with [DdeI C/C or T/C and MnlI G/G or T/G] genotype had increased right [HHb] with MPH use whereas the participants with [DdeI T/T and MnlI T/T] or [DdeI T/T and MnlI G/G or T/G] genotypes had decreased right prefrontal [HHb]. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that SNAP-25 polymorphism might be associated with methylphenidate induced brain hemodynamic changes in ADHD participants.

Effects of zinc and ferritin levels on parent and teacher reported symptom scores in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that both low iron and zinc levels might be associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. However, the association of zinc and iron levels with ADHD symptoms has not been investigated at the same time in a single sample. METHOD: 118 subjects with ADHD (age = 7-14 years, mean = 9.8, median = 10) were included in the study. The relationship between age, gender, ferritin, zinc, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and reticulosite distribution width and behavioral symptoms of children and adolescents with ADHD were investigated with multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that subjects with lower zinc level had higher Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) Total, Conduct Problems and Anxiety scores, indicating more severe problems. CPRS Hyperactivity score was associated both with zinc and ferritin levels. Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) scores were not significantly associated with zinc or ferritin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that both low zinc and ferritin levels were associated with higher hyperactivity symptoms. Zinc level was also associated with anxiety and conduct problems. Since both zinc and iron are associated with dopamine metabolism, it can be speculated that low zinc and iron levels might be associated with more significant impairment in dopaminergic transmission in subjects with ADHD.

Refractive errors and strabismus in children with Ddown syndrome: a controlled study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of refractive errors, strabismus, nystagmus, and congenital cataract in children with Down syndrome and control subjects of similar age. METHODS: Seventy-seven children with Down syndrome and 151 control subjects were evaluated for the prevalence of ocular findings. RESULTS: Ocular findings were discovered in 97.4% of children with Down syndrome and 42.4% of control subjects (P < .0001). The point prevalence of nystagmus, strabismus, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and congenital cataract was significantly higher in children with Down syndrome (P < .0001 for the first four categories, and P < .01 for congenital cataract). CONCLUSION: Evaluation, treatment, and regular review of ocular and refractive findings in children with Down syndrome is urgently needed.

Refractive errors and ocular findings in children with intellectual disability: a controlled study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular findings and refractive errors in children with intellectual disability and in controls of average intellectual development of similar socioeconomic backgrounds. METHODS: The study was conducted at Diskapi Children's Hospital in Ankara, Turkey: 724 subjects with intellectual disability and 151 control subjects were evaluated. The subjects with intellectual disability were subdivided into mild (IQ 50-69, n = 490), moderate (IQ 35-49, n = 164), and severe (IQ <34, n = 70) groups, and syndromic (n = 138) versus nonsyndromic (n = 586) disability. All children underwent cycloplegic autorefraction or retinoscopy, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and dilated fundus examination. Ocular alignment was assessed by Hirschberg, Krimsky, or prism cover test. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of refractive errors and ocular findings. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of subjects with intellectual disability, and 42.4% of controls, had ocular findings. The children with intellectual disability had significantly more nystagmus, strabismus, astigmatism, and hypermetropia than controls. Children with syndromic intellectual disability had significantly more nystagmus, strabismus, astigmatism, and hypermetropia than subjects with nonsyndromic intellectual disability. Increasing severity of intellectual disability was related to higher prevalence of nystagmus, strabismus, astigmatism, hypermetropia, and anisometropia. CONCLUSIONS: From a public health perspective, evaluation and treatment of ocular and refractive findings in children with moderate, severe, and syndromic intellectual disability categories is urgently needed and likely to be highly effective in alleviating future health and social care costs, as well as improving the productive lives of individuals with intellectual disability.