Personalized theta-burst stimulation enhances social skills in young minimally verbal children with autism: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Minimally verbal children with autism are understudied and lack effective treatment options. Personalized continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) targeting the amygdala and its circuitry may be a potential therapeutic approach for this population.

Methods: In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, minimally verbal children with autism (ages 2-8 years) received 4 weeks of cTBS.

Restoring thalamocortical circuit dysfunction by correcting HCN channelopathy in Shank3 mutant mice.

Thalamocortical (TC) circuits are essential for sensory information processing. Clinical and preclinical studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have highlighted abnormal thalamic development and TC circuit dysfunction. However, mechanistic understanding of how TC dysfunction contributes to behavioral abnormalities in ASDs is limited.

Development and validation of a risk score model for predicting autism based on pre- and perinatal factors.

Background: The use of pre- and perinatal risk factors as predictive factors may lower the age limit for reliable autism prediction. The objective of this study was to develop a clinical model based on these risk factors to predict autism.

Methods: A stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between 28 candidate risk factors and autism risk among 615 Han Chinese children with autism and 615 unrelated typically developing children.

Therapeutic efficacy of sulforaphane in autism spectrum disorders and its association with gut microbiota: animal model and human longitudinal studies.

Introduction: Sulforaphane (SFN) has been found to alleviate complications linked with several diseases by regulating gut microbiota (GM), while the effect of GM on SFN for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the effects of SFN on childhood ASD and GM through animal model and human studies.

Methods: We evaluated the therapeutic effects of SFN on maternal immune activation (MIA) induced ASD-like rat model and pediatric autism patients using three-chamber social test and OSU Autism Rating Scale-DSM-IV (OARS-4), respectively, with parallel GM analysis using 16SrRNA sequencing.

The clinical application of Chinese herbal medication to depression: A narrative review.

Depression severely impairs psychosocial functioning and quality of life, which places a huge burden on patients and their families. However, the physiological mechanism of depression remains unknown. Treatment with existing antidepressant medications is effective in around 50% of patients according to various studies, but is associated with severe side effects including nausea and headaches.

Purine signaling pathway dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: Evidence from multiple omics data.

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that the dysregulation of purine metabolism may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we adopted metabolomics and transcriptomics to verify and explore the underlying molecular mechanism of purine metabolism dysfunction in ASD and identify potential biomarkers within the purine metabolism pathway.

Methods: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to obtain the plasma metabolic profiles of 12 patients with ASD and 12 typically developing (TD) children.

Investigating and comparing the psychometric properties of the Chinese Mandarin version of social responsiveness scale-2 and its shortened version in preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder.

We aimed to investigate and compare the psychometric properties of the Chinese Mandarin Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) and its shortened version. The study assessed 670 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 30-54 months and 138 typical developmental (TD) children of the same age in mainland China. Our item reliability test revealed that only 36 items of the 65 items in the Chinese Mandarin SRS-2 (Preschool) met the reliability criteria.

Efficacy of Sulforaphane in Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Multi-center Trial.

Sulforaphane has been reported to possibly improve core symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders from mostly small size studies. Here we present results of a larger randomized clinical trial (N = 108) in China. There were no significant changes in caregiver rated scales between sulforaphane and placebo groups.

Association between history of miscarriage and autism spectrum disorder.

This case-control study was designed to examine the association between different types of miscarriage history and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and determine whether the number of miscarriage history affects the risk of ASD. All of 2274 children with ASD and 1086 healthy controls were recruited. Sociodemographic and prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal characteristics were compared between the two groups.

Relationship between RELN signaling pathway genes and language development of autism based on a cluster model.

Objectives: Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder with unclear etiology. High heterogeneity is one of the main issues in the etiological studies. This study explores the relationship between RELN signaling pathway related genes (, , , , , ) and language development of autism patients based on a cluster analysis model which is established to reduce the heterogeneity.

Internet-based interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health in LGBTQ+ young adults: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Compared to its cis-heterosexual counterpart, the sexual and gender minority (SGM) population is disproportionately susceptible to mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and minority stress. They are also facing unique help-seeking barriers when in need of support. Past research has shown promising results in using interventions to promote help-seeking intentions and attitudes of the cis-heterosexual population.

Odor identification impairment in autism spectrum disorder might be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

Deficits in olfactory function in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have already been reported. However, the results of previous studies are not consistent, and the pathophysiological mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction in ASD are not clear. Fifty-three male ASD children or teenagers aged 9-16 years were recruited for the study.

Associations Between Academic Stress and Depressive Symptoms Mediated by Anxiety Symptoms and Hopelessness Among Chinese College Students.

Purpose: Explore the potential mediating effects of anxiety symptoms and hopelessness on the relationship between academic stress and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1309 college students with informed consent were recruited from a local university in China. Academic stress, anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms were assessed by self-report scales.

Sulforaphane Effects on Cognition and Symptoms in First and Early Episode Schizophrenia: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial.

Objective: Cognitive symptoms are associated with significant dysfunction in schizophrenia. Oxidative stress and inflammation involving histone deacetylase (HDAC) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Sulforaphane has antioxidant properties and is an HDAC inhibitor.

Characteristics Analysis, Clinical Outcome and Risk Factors for Fungal Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A 10-Year Case-Control Study.

Fungal peritonitis (FP) is a rare but severe complication that can appear in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study aimed to investigate the incidence rate and clinical characteristics of FP, evaluate clinical outcomes between FP and bacterial peritonitis (BP) patients on PD, and especially estimate the risk factors for FP outbreak. All episodes of FP diagnosed in our hospital from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020, were reviewed in this single-center study.

Associations Between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder Symptoms Mediated by Depressive Symptoms and Hopelessness Among College Students.

Purpose: The mediating role of depressive symptoms and hopelessness on the relationship between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms has not yet been elucidated. This study assessed this mediating effect in college students.

Participants And Methods: Participants consisted of 1236 freshmen recruited at a local university.

The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ): Strengths, weaknesses and future improvements in Chinese version.

Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) refers to a set of symptoms or personality traits which similar but not meet the diagnostic criteria for autism in relatives of individuals with Autism Spetrum Disorders (ASD).The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) is one of the new and widely used assessment tools to measure BAP.It has been translated into 8 different languages and some versions were investigated the psychometric properties but not including Chinese version (BAPQ-C).

Occupational Burnout Among Frontline Health Professionals in a High-Risk Area During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Structural Equation Model.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in a substantial workload and stress for frontline health professionals in high-risk areas. Little research has investigated the mechanism of occupational burnout among the frontline health professionals located in the center of the epidemic in Wuhan, China. A total of 199 frontline health professionals from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital completed the cross-sectional survey.

Mutation pattern and genotype-phenotype correlations of SETD2 in neurodevelopmental disorders.

SETD2 encodes an important protein for epigenetic modification of histones which plays an essential role in early development. Variants in SETD2 have been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most de novo SETD2 variants were reported in different large-cohort sequencing studies, mutation pattern and comprehensive genotype-phenotype correlations for SETD2 are still lacking.