Search

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with underlying pathogenesis and etiological factors not fully understood. We assumed that galectin-3, which is also linked with inflammatory responses, may be central to the ethiopathogenesis of ASD. Method: The current study consisted of 33 psychotropic medication-naive children with ASD and 32 control subjects. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children, Present and Lifetime Version-DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL-DSM-5) was used to screen healthy controls for psychiatric disorders by a psychiatrist after a physical examination by a pediatrician. The clinical severity of the ASD symptoms has been assessed by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Venous blood samples were collected and serum galectin-3 levels were measured. Results: When the ASD and control groups are compared, the mean galectin-3 level is 417.77 (SD = 200.20) in the ASD group and 243.08 (SD = 64.65) in the control group, and there is a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). When examining whether there is a correlation between galectin-3 levels and CARS total scores, no statistically significant correlation was found between them (r = 0.015, p = 0.933). Discussion: In this study, we examined whether serum galectin-3 levels have a relation with ASD in childhood or not. Our findings have indicated that the children with ASD have higher serum galectin-3 levels compared to the controls. However, no significant relationship has been found between serum galectin-3 levels and ASD symptom severity.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders in which the underlying pathogenesis and etiologic factors are not fully understood. The blood brain barrier (BBB) ??plays a critical role in central nervous system defense by limiting access to circulating solutes, macromolecules, and cells that can negatively affect neuronal activity. The loss of BBB integrity is likely to be seen as a common pathologic finding for many psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, ASD, and mood disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether serum Cingulin levels are associated with ASD. Subjects and Methods: A total of 40 treatment-naive children with ASD and 40 healthy controls were included in the present study. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children, Present and Lifetime Version-DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL-DSM-5) has been used to screen healthy controls for psychiatric disorders by a psychiatrist after a physical examination by a paediatrician. The clinical severity of the ASD symptoms has been assessed by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Venous blood samples were collected and serum Cingulin levels were measured. Results: When the ASD and control groups were compared, CARS and Cingulin values of the patient group were statistically higher than the healthy group. There is a statistically positive correlation between CARS and Cingulin values. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this study is a first in the literature conducted about the serum Cingulin levels, which is a component of BBB, among patients with ASD. Our findings demonstrate that serum Cingulin levels are meaningfully higher in ASD group compared to the healthy control group. It has been also indicated that there has been a meaningful relationship between serum Cingulin levels and ASD symptom severity.

Introduction: A previous study has evaluated the association between serum tumour necrosis factor-like weak apoptosis inducer (TWEAK) levels and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In line with this investigation, the present study aimed to measure serum TWEAK levels to determine whether their eventual alteration might have etiopathogenetic significance in children with ASD. Methods: A total of 40 treatment-naive children with ASD and 40 healthy children as controls were included in the present study. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children--Present and Lifetime Version, DSM-5 was used by a psychiatrist to screen the healthy controls for psychiatric disorders after a physical examination by a paediatrician. The clinical severity of the ASD symptoms was assessed by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Venous blood samples were collected, and serum TWEAK levels were measured. Results: This study included 80 children in total, with 40 (50.0%) in the patient group and 40 (50.0%) in the healthy control group. Thirty four (85.0%) of the participants in the patient group, and 31 (77.5%) in the healthy control group, were male, and the remainder were female. The distribution of the gender ratio was statistically similar between groups (p = 0.568). The volunteers were between 36 and 59 months old. The average age in the patient group was 46.0 ± 6.5, while that in the healthy control group was 45.2 ± 6.7. The ages were also statistically similar between groups (p = 0.615). The TWEAK values of the patient group were found to be statistically higher than those of the healthy control group (p < 0.001). Discussion: This study examined whether serum TWEAK levels were related to ASD in childhood. Our findings indicate that children with ASD have higher TWEAK levels when compared to other children. The findings further indicate that serum TWEAK levels could be related to ASD etiopathogenesis independent of ASD symptom severity.

Copyright of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi is the property of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, DSM-5 November 2016 -Turkish Adaptation (K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T). Method: A total of 150 children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age were assessed with K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T. The degree of agreement between the DSM-5 criteria diagnoses and the K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T diagnoses were considered as the measure of consensus validity. In addition, concurrent validity was examined by analyzing the correlation between the diagnoses on K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T and relevant scales. Interrater reliabilities were assessed on randomly selected 20 participants. Likewise, randomly selected 20 other participants were interviewed with K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T three weeks after the first interview to evaluate test-retest reliability. Results: The consistency of diagnoses was almost perfect for eating disorders, selective mutism and autism spectrum disorder (κ=0.92-1.0), substantial for elimination disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, depressive disorders, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (κ=0.67-0.80). Interrater reliability was perfect for selective mutism (κ=1.0), substantial for oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depressive disorders and social anxiety disorder (κ=0.63-0.73). Test-retest reliability was almost perfect for autism spectrum disorder (κ=0.82), substantial for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, depressive disorders and generalized anxiety disorder (κ=0.62-0.78). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T is an effective instrument for diagnosing major childhood psychiatric disorders including selective mutism, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and autism spectrum disorder which have recently been added to the schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 45-70% have motor skill problems, which can adversely affect social competence, peer relations, and academic skills. The aim of this study is to assess motor skills in school-aged children with ADHD, and to elucidate if there are any relationships between ADHD symptoms and cognitive function. Method: Included in this study were 58 children (38 ADHD, 20 controls) between 8-11 years of age. Children were diagnosed with ADHD via the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children Present and Lifetime Version. The parents were asked to fill out the Conner's' Parent Rating Scale - Revised Short Turkish Form to determine the symptom domains and the symptom severity. The Wechsler Children's Intelligence Scale-IV was used to assess cognitive skills, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test was used to assess motor skills. Results: Children with ADHD had impaired performance in many motor skill areas compared to the controls. Impairments in fine motor skills were correlated with problems in attention, working memory, and processing speed. In the ADHD group, age was not correlated with motor skills. Conclusion: The multistage clinical evaluation of ADHD should include screening for problems in motor skills. If deficiencies are found, the child should be clinically evaluated for motor proficiency and, if necessary, should be referred for appropriate objective assessment and intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]