Behavioural, cognitive, and neurophysiological effects of a synbiotic supplementation enriched with pigmented corn extract or cornstarch in drug-naïve children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomised, double-blind, comparison-controlled clinical trial.

Background & Aims: Considerable interest has been recently given to the potential role of the gut-brain axis (GBA) -a two-way communication network between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system- in the pathogenesis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting the potential usefulness of probiotic and synbiotic supplementations. In light of the limited available evidence, synbiotic efficacy in ADHD children not taking medications should be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a synbiotic dietary supplementation on fatty acids levels as well as on microbiota composition, behaviour, cognition, and brain function in children with ADHD.

Prospective Interrelation Between Sensory Sensitivity and Fine Motor Skills During the First 18 Months Predicts Later Autistic Features.

Sensory features are included in the diagnostic criteria of autism and atypical sensory responsiveness may produce "cascading effects" on later development. Similarly, autistic individuals often struggle with motor coordination and early delays in the motor domain appear to be linked to later development. However, the longitudinal interrelation between early sensory profiles and motor features on later socio-communicative skills remains to be defined.

Enhanced motor noise in an autism subtype with poor motor skills.

Background: Motor difficulties are common in many, but not all, autistic individuals. These difficulties can co-occur with other problems, such as delays in language, intellectual, and adaptive functioning. Biological mechanisms underpinning such difficulties are less well understood.

A gate tunable transmon qubit in planar Ge.

Gate-tunable transmons (gatemons) employing semiconductor Josephson junctions have recently emerged as building blocks for hybrid quantum circuits. In this study, we present a gatemon fabricated in planar Germanium. We induce superconductivity in a two-dimensional hole gas by evaporating aluminum atop a thin spacer, which separates the superconductor from the Ge quantum well.

Brain Alteration Patterns in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Machine Learning Approach to Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Background: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disease in which lack of the dystrophin protein causes progressive muscular weakness, cardiomyopathy and respiratory insufficiency. DMD is often associated with other cognitive and behavioral impairments, however the correlation of abnormal dystrophin expression in the central nervous system with brain structure and functioning remains still unclear.

Objective: To investigate brain involvement in patients with DMD through a multimodal and multivariate approach accounting for potential comorbidities.

Exposure to environmental pollutants and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Although heritability estimates suggest a role for genetic components, environmental risk factors have been described as relevant in the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several studies have investigated the role of toxicological pollution, i.e.

A multimodal approach can identify specific motor profiles in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

It is still unclear whether and to what extent the motor difficulties are specific to autism. This study aimed to determine whether a multimodal assessment of motor skills could accurately discriminate autistic children from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing (TD) peers. Seventy-five children, aged 7-13, equally divided into three groups, were assessed with the developmental coordination disorder questionnaire (DCDQ), the movement assessment battery for children 2 (MABC2), the sensorimotor subtests of NEPSY-II, and the kinematic analysis of a reach-to-drop task.

Dynamic balance during walking in people with multiple sclerosis: A cross-sectional study.

Dynamic balance disorders are common impairments in People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) leading to gait disorders and a higher risk of falling. However, the assessment of dynamic balance is still challenging and instrumented indexes provide objective and quantitative data of CoM movement and Base of Support, which are considered that are two key factors describing dynamic balance. This study aims at validating recent instrumented indexes based on the inverted pendulum model and characterizing dynamic balance disorders in PwMS.

Exploring telediagnostic procedures in child neuropsychiatry: addressing ADHD diagnosis and autism symptoms through supervised machine learning.

Recently, there has been an increase in telemedicine applied to child neuropsychiatry, such as the use of online platforms to collect remotely case histories and demographic and behavioral information. In the present proof-of-concept study, we aimed to understand to what extent information parents and teachers provide through online questionnaires overlaps with clinicians' diagnostic conclusions on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Moreover, we intended to explore a possible role that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) symptoms played in this process.

Dynamics of Hole Singlet-Triplet Qubits with Large g-Factor Differences.

The spin-orbit interaction permits to control the state of a spin qubit via electric fields. For holes it is particularly strong, allowing for fast all electrical qubit manipulation, and yet an in-depth understanding of this interaction in hole systems is missing. Here we investigate, experimentally and theoretically, the effect of the cubic Rashba spin-orbit interaction on the mixing of the spin states by studying singlet-triplet oscillations in a planar Ge hole double quantum dot.

Smoothness of movement in idiopathic cervical dystonia.

Smoothness (i.e. non-intermittency) of movement is a clinically important property of the voluntary movement with accuracy and proper speed.

Evidence of Josephson Coupling in a Few-Layer Black Phosphorus Planar Josephson Junction.

Setting up strong Josephson coupling in van der Waals materials in close proximity to superconductors offers several opportunities both to inspect fundamental physics and to develop cryogenic quantum technologies. Here we show evidence of Josephson coupling in a planar few-layer black phosphorus junction. The planar geometry allows us to probe the junction behavior by means of external gates, at different carrier concentrations.

Patterns of Response to Methylphenidate Administration in Children with ADHD: A Personalized Medicine Approach through Clustering Analysis.

Individual responses to methylphenidate (MPH) can significantly differ in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in terms of the extent of clinical amelioration, optimal dosage needed, possible side effects, and short- and long-term duration of the benefits. In the present repeated-measures observational study, we undertook a proof-of-concept study to determine whether clustering analysis could be useful to characterize different clusters of responses to MPH in children with ADHD. We recruited 33 children with ADHD who underwent a comprehensive clinical, cognitive, and neurophysiological assessment before and after one month of MPH treatment.

A singlet-triplet hole spin qubit in planar Ge.

Spin qubits are considered to be among the most promising candidates for building a quantum processor. Group IV hole spin qubits are particularly interesting owing to their ease of operation and compatibility with Si technology. In addition, Ge offers the option for monolithic superconductor-semiconductor integration.

Characterization of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) subtypes based on the relationship between motor skills and social communication abilities.

Motor abnormalities are generally observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and motor difficulties are certainly evident during the early years of life and may thus precede social-communication impairments. The main aim of the present study was to examine ASD subtypes based on the relationship between motor skills and social communication abilities. Motor skills and social communication abilities were evaluated through the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Version and the Psychoeducational Profile-Third Edition.

A multimethod approach to assessing motor skills in boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder.

Motor peculiarities are often reported in children with autism spectrum disorder and may predict subsequent adaptive functioning and quality of life. Although the sex bias in the prevalence of the disorder is well documented, little is known about differences in motor profile in males and females with autism spectrum disorder. Our goal was to study differences in motor functioning of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder aged 3-11 years compared with typically developing children.

Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A 10-Year Narrative Review.

In the past decade, converging evidence has suggested that motor impairment is one of the most consistent markers, alongside sociocommunicative difficulties, for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Indeed, widespread anomalies of movement have been described in the ASD context. These motor abnormalities could have critical implications for subsequent cognitive and social development.

Improved Gait of Persons With Multiple Sclerosis After Rehabilitation: Effects on Lower Limb Muscle Synergies, Push-Off, and Toe-Clearance.

Persons with MS (PwMS) have markedly reduced push-off and toe-clearance during gait compared to healthy subjects (HS). These deficits may result from alterations in neuromotor control at the ankle. To optimize rehabilitation interventions for PwMS, a crucial step is to evaluate if and how altered neuromotor control, as represented by muscle synergies, improves with rehabilitation.

The utility of NIRS technology for exploring emotional processing in children.

Background: Deficits in emotional processing and, in particular, in emotional self-regulation represent non-specific risk factors for transdiagnostic poor outcomes. Researches have been focusing on the investigation of possible emotional processing and regulation biomarkers. The present brief review of the literature aims to evaluate whether NIRS signal might be one of them.