Hormesis, cellular stress response and neuroinflammation in schizophrenia: Early onset versus late onset state.

Abnormal redox homeostasis and oxidative stress have been proposed to play a role in the etiology of several neuropsychiatric spectrum disorders. Emerging interest has recently focused on markers of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in schizophrenic spectrum disorders, at least in particular subgroups of patients. Altered expression of genes related to oxidative stress, oxidative damage to DNA, protein and lipids, as well as reduced glutathione levels in central and peripheral tissues could act synergistically, and contribute to the course of the disease.

Prevalence of ADHD in a sample of Italian students: a population-based study.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common diagnosis for children and adolescents, although the reported estimates for prevalence are extremely variable worldwide. In the present work we investigate the prevalence of ADHD in a sample of Italian students in a study divided in two phases. In Phase I, a total of 6183 schoolchildren (3178 males and 3005 females, aged range 5-15 years) were screened using the SDAI rating scale for teachers.

Anti-brain antibodies in PANDAS versus uncomplicated streptococcal infection.

The objective of this study was to assess brain involvement through the presence of antineuronal antibodies in Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) and in uncomplicated active Group A streptococcal infection. We compared serum antibrain antibody to human basal ganglia sections assessed by indirect tissue immunofluorescence in two groups: a PANDAS group, comprised of 22 patients (mean age 10.1 years; 20 male, 2 female) who met strict National Institutes of Mental Health diagnostic criteria for PANDAS and had clinically active tics or obsessive-compulsive disorder, or both; and a GABHS control group consisting of 22 patients (mean age 9.

Mental retardation and early onset of weakness in a girl with a dystrophinopathy and a large Xp21-23 deletion.

A 2-year-old girl presented with severe global developmental delay weakness, and an elevated serum creatine kinase level. Her muscle biopsy was consistent with an active dystrophy with absence of dystrophin in about half of the muscle fibers. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis showed her karyotype to be 46, X, delX p23.