Psychiatric Manifestations in Early to Middle Stages of Fragile X-Associated Tremor-Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS).

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the psychiatric manifestations of early to middle stages of fragile X-associated tremor-ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and their relationship with executive function and cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) repeat numbers across genders.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 100 participants (62 men, 38 women; mean±SD age=67.11±7.

Harm Avoidance is Correlated with the Reward System in Adult Patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Objective: Hypoactivity in the reward system among patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known phenomenon. Whether the activity in the reward pathway is related to harm avoidance, such as in sensitivity to punishment, is unclear. Evidence regarding the potential difference between ADHD patients and controls in terms of this association is scarce.

Hf(OTf)-Catalyzed Three-Component Synthesis of -Carbamate-Protected β-Amino Ketones.

Hafnium(IV) triflate (Hf(OTf)) has been identified as a potent catalyst for the direct three-component synthesis of β-carbamate ketones. This new method, featuring a low catalyst loading, fast reaction rate, and solvent-free conditions, provided facile access to a diversity of carbamate-protected Mannich bases. A mechanistic investigation indicated that the three-component reaction proceeds via sequential aldol condensation and aza-Michael addition, but not the Mannich-type pathway.

An Improved Approach for Practical Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5hmdC) Phosphoramidite and Triphosphate.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5hmdC) phosphoramidite and triphosphate are important building blocks in 5hmdC-containing DNA synthesis for epigenetic studies. However, efficient and practical methods for the synthesis of these compounds are still limited. The current research provides an intensively improved synthetic method that enables the preparation of commercially available cyanoethyl-protected 5hmdC phosphoramidite with an overall yield of 39% on 5 g scale.

Photo-Switchable Aggregation-Induced Emission of Bisthienylethene-Dipyrimido[2,1-][1,3]benzothiazole Triad.

A bisthienylethene-dipyrimido[2,1-][1,3]benzothiazole () triad has been designed and synthesized based on our recent discovery of PBTs as atypical propeller-shaped novel AIEgens. The triad not only maintains the photochromic properties of BTE moiety in solution, film, and solid state but also exhibits remarkable AIE properties. Moreover, the fluorescence of PMMA film could be modulated with high contrast by alternate UV and visible light irradiation.

Sex differences in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and effects of comorbid mental retardation and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Background/purpose: The association between sex and diagnostic behavior of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the effects of comorbid mental retardation (MR) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were explored.

Methods: Based on the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID)-2000 and data from 1996 through 2008, the cumulative incidence of ASD over time was compared between the sexes (both cohorts n = 38,117) using the log-rank test. The effects of comorbid MR and ADHD on the incidence of ASD were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.

Positive Symptoms in Antipsychotic-naïve Schizophrenia are Associated with Increased Body Mass Index after Treatment.

Objective: Weight gain is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality among patients with schizophrenia. We speculated that positive symptoms, related to dopaminergic hyperactivity and altered mesolimbic function, are associated with weight gain.

Methods: Twenty-two antipsychotic-naïve, first-episode patients with schizophrenia were enrolled.

Identification of reproduction-related genes and pathways in the Culter alburnus H-P-G axis and characterization of their expression differences in malformed and normal gynogenetic ovaries.

This study applied RNA-seq technology to discover reproduction-related genes and pathways in female topmouth culter brain (including pituitary) and ovarian tissues. In functional analysis, 2479 and 2605 unigenes in the brain and ovary tissue were assigned to the "reproductive process" subcategory in addition to the 2660 and 2845 unigenes assigned to the "reproduction" subcategory. Twenty-three complete cDNA sequences were identified through the different gene expression (DGE) approach from five reproduction-related pathways (MAPK signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway, gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling pathway, oocyte meiosis pathway, and steroid biosynthesis pathway).

A pilot study on the association between the blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the reward system and dopamine transporter availability in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Background: It is well-known that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with changes in the dopaminergic system. However, the relationship between central dopaminergic tone and the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during receipt of rewards and penalties in the corticostriatal pathway in adults with ADHD is unclear.

Methods: Single-photon emission computed tomography with [99mTC]TRODAT-1 was used to assess striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability.

The Polymorphism Stratified the Correlation of Oxytocin and Glucose Homeostasis in Non-Diabetic Subjects.

Objective: Previous animal studies have shown that the oxytocin system might affect glucose homeostasis through the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and peripheral organs. Moreover, whether the effect is stratified by the polymorphism of oxytocin receptor gene () remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, we recruited 89 non-diabetic participants.

Altered Auditory P300 Performance in Parents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Offspring.

Objective: Altered event-related potential (ERP) performances have been noted in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and reflect neurocognitive dysfunction. Whether these ERP alterations and correlated dysfunctions exist in healthy parents with ADHD offspring is worth exploring.

Methods: Thirteen healthy parents with ADHD offspring and thirteen healthy controls matched for age, sex and years of education were recruited.

The association between plasma cholesterol and the effect of tryptophan depletion on heart rate variability.

Studies on the cholesterol-serotonin hypothesis and its link to mood disorders are scarce. In addition, little is known about the association between cholesterol and the effects of tryptophan depletion (TD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between plasma cholesterol and changes in heart rate variability (HRV), an important marker of depression and anxiety, after TD.

Orbitofrontal dysfunction during the reward process in adults with ADHD: An fMRI study.

Objective: The present study aimed to detect differences in the reward response between adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and healthy controls (HCs) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods: The Iowa gambling task (IGT) was designed to explore participants' reward-related decision-making in relation to selections during risky behaviors. Twenty adults with ADHD and 20 HCs were enrolled.

Heart Rate Variability is Associated with Memory in Females.

Research into the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive function is scarce, particularly with regard to gender differences. HRV in 182 healthy volunteers was assessed by the root mean square of the successive difference (RMSSD) and spectrum analysis, while the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) was used to determine memory function. Robust and significant associations were found to exist between HRV (RMSSD and high-frequency HRV) and domains of the WMS-R in females.

Differential Regulation of Myosin Regulatory Light Chain Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase C Isozymes in Human Uterine Myocytes.

Background: Preterm birth is the most common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and a common precedent to lifelong disability. Current treatment has minimal efficacy.

Objective: We assessed the role of isozymes of the protein kinase C (PKC) family in regulating the phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains (RLCs), which regulate uterine contractility.

Prefrontal cortex modulates the correlations between brain-derived neurotrophic factor level, serotonin, and the autonomic nervous system.

Top-down regulation in the human brain and anatomical connections between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and specific catecholamine-related regions have been well-studied. However, the way in which the PFC modulates downstream neuro-networks in terms of serotonin and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) by variation in the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is still unclear. We recruited sixty-seven healthy subjects.

Availability of dopamine transporters and auditory P300 abnormalities in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: preliminary results.

Objective: Previous studies have indicated that there is dopamine transporter (DAT) dysregulation and P300 abnormality in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the correlations among the three have not been fully explored.

Methods: A total of 11 adults (9 males and 2 females) with ADHD and 11 age-, sex-, and education-level-matched controls were recruited. We explored differences in DAT availability using single-photon emission computed tomography and P300 wave of event-related potentials between the two groups.

Unaltered Dopamine Transporter Availability in Drug-Naive Patients With Schizophrenia After 6 Months of Antipsychotics Treatment: A Naturalistic Study.

Background: Dopaminergic dysfunction, namely, dopamine transporter (DAT) availability variations in patients with drug-naive schizophrenia after long-term treatment, is still not well understood. The aims of the study were to explore (i) whether the DAT availability in patients with drug-naive schizophrenia differed after antipsychotic treatment and (ii) whether treatment with different generations of antipsychotics influenced the DAT availability after follow-up for 6 months.

Methods: Twenty-four first-episode, drug-naive patients with schizophrenia were divided into first- and second-generation antipsychotic groups naturalistically.

Poor performance of fine motor activity among biological parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

It has been proposed that the dopaminergic system and heritability may play roles in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We assessed the performance of healthy parents of children with ADHD in the finger tapping test (FTT) in this study, which is a reliable test and sensitive to central dopamine activity. A total of 16 parents of children with ADHD and 32 controls were enrolled.

Availability of Striatal Dopamine Transporter in Healthy Individuals With and Without a Family History of ADHD.

Objective: ADHD is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. It is highly heritable and multifactorial, but the definitive causes remain unknown. Abnormal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability has been reported, but the data are inconsistent.

The Association between Baseline Subjective Anxiety Rating and Changes in Cardiac Autonomic Nervous Activity in Response to Tryptophan Depletion in Healthy Volunteers.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of serotonin on anxiety and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function; the correlation between subjective anxiety rating and changes of ANS function following tryptophan depletion (TD) in healthy volunteers was examined. Twenty-eight healthy participants, consisting of 15 females and 13 males, with an average age of 33.3 years, were recruited.

The correlation between perceived social support, cortisol and brain derived neurotrophic factor levels in healthy women.

In this study, the role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in stress resilience was investigated. With a focus on healthy subjects, we explored whether plasma BDNF levels are correlated with the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and subjectively perceived social support status. Moreover, we examined the possible interacting effect of DST status and perceived social support on BDNF levels.

Bidirectional association between autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy in child and adolescent patients: a population-based cohort study.

This study aimed to assess whether there is a bidirectional association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy in child and adolescent patients. The National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan was used to conduct two cohort studies of patients who were under 18 years of age during the period 1997-2008. Cohort 1 comprised patients with newly diagnosed ASD but excluded those diagnosed with epilepsy prior to ASD.