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Objective·To explore the adaptation and adaptability of RUBI-PT (the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention Autism Network Parent Training) program in China.Methods·According to the four steps of cultural adaptation, the RUBI-PT program was adapted, including information collection, preliminary adaptation design, preliminary adaptation test and further adjustment. In the information collection phase, six pediatricians and two psychotherapists were invited to conduct six focus group interviews, and according to the expert opinions, the RUBI-PT program was preliminarily adapted from the aspects of language, treatment format and treatment setting. In the preliminary adaptation test phase, 16 parents of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children were recruited and divided into two batches to participate in the online RUBI-PT. After the treatment, the project feedback questionnaires were collected, and the adaptability was investigated and analyzed. Finally, the scheme was further adjusted according to the test results.Results·The preliminary adaptation program of RUBI-PT was adjusted from individual training to group training, including eight core skills sessions, which were implemented in the form of online meetings. The preliminary test results showed that parents′ satisfaction with lesson progress, lesson process, completion of homework and comments to homework were 90%, 80%, 100% and 100%, respectively; in terms of the course difficulty, parents reported that the 7th session (functional communication training) and the 8th session (teaching skills) were the most difficult. Based on the above survey results and the opinions of the expert group, further adjustments were completed, and an adaptation program for localized RUBI-PT was ultimately formed.Conclusion·After adaptation and adaptability investigation, the RUBI-PT, which is suitable for Chinese families with ASD children to conduct behavioral parent training, has been formed.

Inconsistencies are evident within the literature regarding the role of Green Tea (GT) supplementation on women living with obesity. To address this, we conducted to determine the impact of GT supplementation on the weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) in overweight and obese women using time and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This meta-analysis searched electronic Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed/Medline databases from inception to December 1st, 2022. Data were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 2061 references were identified, and 15 articles with 16 RCT arms on body weight, 17 RCT arms on BMI, and 7 RCT arms on WC were included in the meta-analysis. GT supplementation significantly decreases body weight (WMD: −1.23 kg, 95% CI: −2.13 to −0.33, p = 0.007), BMI (WMD: −0.47 kg/m2, 95% CI: −0.87 to −0.07, p = 0.020) and WC (WMD: −3.46 cm, 95% CI: −6.75 to −0.16, p = 0.040). In subgroup analyses, GT consumption demonstrated lowered body weight with dosaes ≥1000 mg/day (WMD: −1.38 kg), in the RCTs, which lasted ≥8 wk (WMD: −1.24 kg). The non-linear dose-response assessment detected a negative correlation between the changes in body weight and BMI in green tea consumption of more than 1000 (mg/day). The GT supplementation reduced the weight, BMI, and WC in overweight and obese women. In clinical practice, healthcare professionals can recommend using GT with dosages ≥ 1000mg/day and duration ≥ 8 wk in obese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 lockdowns increased the risk of mental health problems, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, despite its importance, little is known about the protective factors for ASD children during the lockdowns. Methods: Based on the Shanghai Autism Early Developmental Cohort, 188 ASD children with two visits before and after the strict Omicron lockdown were included; 85 children were lockdown-free, while 52 and 51 children were under the longer and the shorter durations of strict lockdown, respectively. We tested the association of the lockdown group with the clinical improvement and also the modulation effects of parent/family-related factors on this association by linear regression/mixed-effect models. Within the social brain structures, we examined the voxel-wise interaction between the grey matter volume and the identified modulation effects. Results: Compared with the lockdown-free group, the ASD children experienced the longer duration of strict lockdown had less clinical improvement (β = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.19–0.79], p = 0.001) and this difference was greatest for social cognition (2.62 [0.94–4.30], p = 0.002). We found that this association was modulated by parental agreeableness in a protective way (−0.11 [−0.17 to −0.05], p = 0.002). This protective effect was enhanced in the ASD children with larger grey matter volumes in the brain's mentalizing network, including the temporal pole, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the superior temporal gyrus. Conclusions: This longitudinal neuroimaging cohort study identified that the parental agreeableness interacting with the ASD children's social brain development reduced the negative impact on clinical symptoms during the strict lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental disorder diagnosed in childhood and adolescence. Theories regarding brain development and SAD suggest a close link between neurodevelopmental dysfunction at the adolescent juncture and SAD, but direct evidence is rare. This study aims to examine brain structural abnormalities in adolescents with SAD. Methods: High-resolution T1-weighted images were obtained from 31 adolescents with SAD (15–17 years) and 42 matching healthy controls (HC). We evaluated symptom severity with the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). We used voxel-based morphometry analysis to detect regional gray matter volume abnormalities and structural co-variance analysis to investigate inter-regional coordination patterns. Results: We found significantly higher gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the insula in adolescents with SAD compared to HC. We also observed significant co-variance of the gray matter volume between the OFC and amygdala, and the OFC and insula in HC, but these co-variance relationships diminished in SAD. Conclusions: These findings provide the first evidence that the brain structural deficits in adolescents with SAD are not only in the core regions of the fronto-limbic system, but also represented by the diminished coordination in the development of these regions. The delayed and unsynchronized development pattern of the fronto-limbic system supports SAD as an adolescent-sensitive developmental mental disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]