Obstetrical suboptimality in autistic children.
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
S E Bryson
Publications and source records attributed to S E Bryson.
First report of a Canadian epidemiological study of autistic syndromes.
This report describes an epidemiological investigation of the autistic syndrome using new research diagnostic criteria (Denckla, 1986). The focus here is on the methods of screening and follow-up, and on a description of the cases identified within a circumscribed region of Nova Scotia. Autism, as defined by social deviance, language impairment and repetitive or ritualistic behaviours, has a prevalence of 10 per 10,000 and a male to female ratio of 2.5:1. These findings are discussed relative to those reported previously.
Autistic Disorder↗
Monozygotic twins concordant for autism and hyperlexia.
The authors describe male monozygotic twins, Jon and Jay, who are concordant for autism and hyperlexia. Autism and mental retardation were diagnosed at the age of 2 years 5 months. Jay was the more advanced twin in motor co-ordination, attention span and receptive abilities, but had frequent tantrums. When psychologically assessed at 7 years 2 months, Jon showed borderline/severe mental retardation on the measure of non-verbal intelligence and Jay was moderately retarded. Their receptive language age was greater than their expressive language age: Jon's speech was less mature but more communicative and Jay's was perseverative and ritualistic. Even though Jon was the more mentally retarded twin, Jay was the more autistic in some behavioral aspects. These twins highlight the relationship between autism and hyperlexia.
Autistic Disorder↗
Hemispheric asymmetries in the perception of emotional and neutral faces.
This study was designed to investigate hemispheric asymmetries in the perception of both positive and negative emotion, while minimizing extraneous factors known to favour right hemisphere processes. Pairs of faces (happy-neutral or sad-neutral) were presented, one to each visual field, and subjects responded to the face that made them feel either better or worse. Performance was superior when the emotional faces were presented to the left visual field-right hemisphere. This occurred in both the better and the worse conditions, and for both sexes. Indeed, the data indicate that all emotional stimuli were being processed by the right hemisphere, and that the effect for emotional faces is due to the expressions and not merely the faces themselves.
Adolescent↗
Effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on normal and chemically-skinned isolated airway smooth muscle.
1. The effects of three phosphodiesterase inhibitors (papaverine, isobutyl methyl xanthine (IBMX) and SKF 94120) were examined on tension responses and cyclic nucleotide content (both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP) of normal and Triton X-100 skinned isolated trachealis of the guinea-pig. 2. The three inhibitors were approximately equipotent in eliciting concentration-dependent relaxation of histamine-induced contractions of the trachealis. 3. Papaverine-induced relaxation was associated with concentration-related increases in the levels of both cyclic nucleotides. 4. IBMX at low concentrations (1 mumol l-1) produced significant relaxation (36%) of histamine-contracted trachealis without changing cyclic nucleotide levels. At a ten fold higher concentration IBMX-induced relaxation (95%) was associated with a selective increase in tissue cyclic GMP levels. Only at the highest concentration tested (100 mumol l-1) did IBMX increase cyclic AMP levels significantly. 5. SKF 94120 (1 mumol l-1) elicited a 23% relaxation of the contracted trachealis without altering the tissue content of either cyclic nucleotide. At the two higher concentrations tested (10 and 100 mumol l-1), SKF 94120-induced relaxation was accompanied by a selective increase in the levels of cyclic AMP. 6. In the skinned trachealis Ca2+ (10 and 20 mumol l-1)-induced contractions were significantly inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist calmidazolium (10 mumol l-1) and by cyclic AMP (10 mumol l-1), the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (0.1 mumol l-1) and cyclic GMP (10 mumol l-1). 7. Papaverine (100 mumol l-1) significantly inhibited (31 +/- 6%) the Ca2+-induced contractions of the skinned trachealis. Both IBMX and SKF 94120 were without effect. It is concluded that cyclic nucleotide-dependent mechanisms have an inhibitory action on the biochemical processes that lead to contraction of the guinea-pig trachealis. The results suggest that a functional sarcoplasmic reticular and/or plasma membrane is essential for the expression of IBMXand SKF 94120-induced relaxation. This is not the case for papaverine. The results also highlight the fact that significant relaxant responses of airway smooth muscle can be produced by phosphodiesterase- inhibiting drugs without concomitant elevations in tissue cyclic nucleotide content.
1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
Review of recent epidemiological studies of mental retardation: prevalence, associated disorders, and etiology.
Recent epidemiological studies of mental retardation were critically reviewed. Data pertaining to prevalence, associated disorders, and etiology were examined. The prevalence both of severe and of mild retardation is generally found to be 3 to 4 per 1,000, although estimates vary with gender, age, and method of ascertainment (e.g., data derived from total population screening yield even higher rates). A wide range of disorders were found to be associated with mental retardation. The etiology of up to 50% of cases was unknown. Of those remaining, prenatal factors were implicated about twice as often as peri- or postnatal factors. Discussion was focused on the implications of current findings for future research.
Cross-Sectional Studies↗
Leukotriene antagonist FPL 57231 prevents the acute pulmonary effects of Escherichia coli endotoxin in cats.
We studied the effects of a selective leukotriene (LT) antagonist (FPL 57231, 2 mg kg-1 min-1) on the acute cardiopulmonary changes observed in feline endotoxin shock. LTC4 and LTD4 (0.1-3.0 micrograms kg-1) given intravenously had little or no activity on pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn), and airways resistance (Raw). They did, however, produce a systemic hypertension, which was significantly attenuated during the FPL 57231 infusion. E. coli endotoxin (2 mg kg-1) administration resulted in decreases in systemic arterial blood pressure and Cdyn, together with increases in both PAP and Raw. During infusion of FPL 57231, all these endotoxin-induced cardiopulmonary changes were attenuated. Radioimmunoassay of blood samples taken from cats given FPL 57231 showed that levels of 6-keto prosta-glandin F1 alpha and thromboxane B2 were not significantly increased by endotoxin, as would normally be expected in cats administered endotoxin. FPL 57231 was also found to antagonise the pulmonary effects of the thromboxanemimetic U46619 and of prostaglandin F2 alpha. These results indicate that it is unlikely that the leukotrienes are involved as important mediators of the acute phase of endotoxin shock in cats.
15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗
Sex differences in depression and the method of administering the Beck Depression Inventory.
Carried out four experiments in which male and female undergraduates (N = 384) completed the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI ) under conditions ranging from absolute anonymity to a face-to-face interview. BDI interitem reliability was comparable across the two sexes and across different methods of test administration, and no evidence was found in any of the experiments or in all four combined that depression is more severe or common in females. We also found that for both sexes responses to the BDI did not vary with the sex of the examiner. It is suggested that sex differences in depression have more to do with the population sampled than with the method of administering tests such as the BDI . Indeed, responses to the BDI appear essentially unaffected by the method of administration.
Adolescent↗
The development of writing posture in left-handed children and its relation to sex and reading skills.
Recordings of handwriting posture were taken on left-handed children at grades 1, 3 and 5. The main findings were that most young boys eventually change from a parallel to an inverted posture, while most girls show an early preference for the non-inverted writing posture. The data are discussed in terms of current notions about why the inverted posture develops. Discussion also centers on the finding that for grade 5 boys, the parallel posture is associated with poor reading scores.
Age Factors↗
Interference effects in autistic children: evidence for the comprehension of single stimuli.
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Adolescent↗