Control Boys Research Articles

Probability waves: Adaptive cluster-based correction by convolution of p-value series from mass univariate analysis

BackgroundMethods for p-value correction are criticized for either increasing Type II error or improperly reducing Type I error in large exploratory data analysis. This text considers patterns in probability vectors resulting from mass univariate analysis to correct p-values, where clusters of significant p-values may indicate true H0 rejection. New methodWe used ERP experimental data from control and ADHD boys to test the method. The Log10 of p-vector was convolved with a Gaussian window whose length was set as the shortest lag above which autocorrelation of each ERP wave may be assumed to have vanished. We realized Monte-Carlo simulations (MC) to (1) evaluate confidence intervals of rejected and non-rejected areas of our data, (2) to evaluate differences between corrected and uncorrected p-vectors or simulated ones in terms of distribution of significant p-values, and (3) to empirically verify the type-I error rate (comparing 10,000 pairs of mixed samples whit control and ADHD subjects). ResultsThe differences between simulation or raw p-vector and corrected p-vectors were, respectively, minimal and maximal for window length set by autocorrelation in p-vector convolution. Comparison with existing methodsOur method was less conservative while FDR methods rejected basically all significant p-values.The MC simulations presented 2.78 ± 4.83% of difference (20 channels) from corrected p-vector, while difference from raw p-vector was 596 ± 5.00% (p = 0.0003). ConclusionAs a cluster-based correction, the present new method seems to be biological and statistically suitable to correct p-values in mass univariate analysis of ERP waves, which adopts adaptive parameters to correction.

Preschool Gender-Typed Play Behavior Predicts Adolescent Gender-Typed Occupational Interests: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study

There are significant gender differences in both play behavior and occupational interests. Play has been regarded as an important medium for development of skills and personal characteristics. Play may also influence subsequent preferences through social and cognitive processes involved in gender development. The present study investigated the association between gender-typed play behavior in early childhood and gender-typed occupational interests in early adolescence. Participants were drawn from a British longitudinal population study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were recruited based on their parent-reported gender-typed play behavior assessed at age 3.5 years. There were 66 masculine boys and 61 masculine girls, 82 feminine boys and 69 feminine girls, and 55 randomly selected control boys and 67 randomly selected control girls. At age 13 years, the participants were administered a questionnaire assessing their interest in gender-typed occupations. It was found that masculine children showed significantly more interest in male-typical occupations than did control or feminine children. Compared with control children, feminine children had marginally significantly lower interest in male-typical jobs. Masculine children also had significantly lower interest in female-typical jobs than did control or feminine children. The associations were not moderated by gender and were observed after taking into account sociodemographic background, parental occupations, and academic performance. The degree of gender-typed play shown by preschoolers can predict their occupational interests 10 years later following transition into adolescence. Childhood gender-typed play has occupational implications that transcend developmental stages.

Testosterone/Epitestosterone Ratios-Further Hints to Explain Hyperandrogenemia in Children with Autism.

Background: Epitestosterone [E] has for a long time been considered as a biologically inactive androgen. However, recently a distinct antiandrogenic activity of this naturally occurring endogenous epimer of Testosterone has been demonstrated. Especially the ratios of testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) seem to be key as inhibition of epitestosterone on androgen activity was postulated. As in autism, a higher androgen activity was implied. We, therefore, suggested higher levels of T/E ratios of children with autism versus children with typical development. Methods: Urine probes of 22 girls with autism (BMI 18.7 ± 4.3; average age 12.3 ± 3.8 years) and a sample of 51 controls (BMI 17.0 ± 2.6; average age 11.9 ± 4 years), as well as 61 boys with autism (BMI 17.04 ± 2. average age 11.9 ± 2.5 years) and 61 control boys (BMI 17.0 ± 2.6; average age 11.1 ± 3.0 years), were analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The average T/E ratio of all boys with autism was 2.5 ± 1.8 versus 2.4 ± 1.3 in boys with typical development, respectively. No significant difference between boys with autism versus boys with typical development could be detected (p = 0.977). In girls with autism, the average T/E ratio was 1.4 ± 0.9 versus 2.0 ± 1.4 in girls with typical development, whereby a significant difference could be detected (p = 0.0285). Further, polynomial analysis of the third degree were conducted, showing a dependence from age with reasonable coefficients of determination (0.075 < R2 < 0.22, all samples). Discussion: As encompassing steroid hormone analysis are expensive and work-intensive, we hoped to find an easily applicable biomarker to support diagnostics in autism. However, as a relatively small sample of only 22 girls with autism were analyzed and menstrual cycle and pubertal status were only partly controllable through the matching of BMI and age, the question arises if it was an incidental finding. Nevertheless, one suggestion might be that epitestosterone has the effect of a competitive inhibition on the androgen receptor, which would probably help to explain the higher prevalence of autism in boys as compared to girls. Presumably, as no significant difference was detected in boys, this effect might not be as relevant from a steroid hormone perspective, and other effects such as altered 17/20-hydroxylase activity as previously shown in boys and girls with autism seem to have more relevance. Analysis of larger samples, including plenty of metabolites and enzymatic cascades, as well as the role of backdoor pathway activity of androgen synthesis of girls with autism, are demanded in order to validate current findings of altered steroid hormones in autism.

Effects of training on bone metabolism in young athletes

PurposeThis study investigated the effects of two types of training on the bone formation marker of osteocalcin and the bone resorption marker of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5b (TRAP5b) in young track and field boys and girls.MethodsThe 14-year-old group (10 boys, 10 girls) performed first time an intensive and supervised 8-week plyometric training. In the 17-year-old group (13 athletic boys, 6 control boys, 12 athletic girls, 6 control girls), the normal many-sided track and field training lasted 6 months.ResultsSignificant increases were noticed in osteocalcin (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) both in younger boys and girls. The 20-m sprint performance improved in girls (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) and the countermovement jump height increased in boys (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). Significant increases in 17-year-old boys and girls were observed after training in osteocalcin (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01), osteocalcin/TRAP5b ratio (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01 and &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001), and the standing 5-jump (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05 and&lt;i&gt; p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01). Serum TRAP5b decreased both in boys (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) and in girls (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01). The boys also improved the standing 5-jump (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) and the 12-minute running test results (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05). In the combined group of all subjects, the correlation coefficient between TRAP5b and age was significant (&lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt; = –0.63, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001, &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 57).ConclusionsIn practice, it is important to add plyometrics and other strength training in the training plans of young athletes, regardless of their events, to increase their bone metabolism and muscle strength.

Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the \u201cexcess mouth/diminished eye attention\u201d hypothesis in autism

BackgroundScanning faces is important for social interactions. Difficulty with the social use of eye contact constitutes one of the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that individuals with ASD look less at the eyes and more at the mouth than typically developing (TD) individuals, possibly due to gaze aversion or gaze indifference. However, eye-tracking evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. While gaze patterns convey information about overt orienting processes, it is unclear how this is manifested at the neural level and how relative covert attention to the eyes and mouth of faces might be affected in ASD.MethodsWe used frequency-tagging EEG in combination with eye tracking, while participants watched fast flickering faces for 1-min stimulation sequences. The upper and lower halves of the faces were presented at 6 Hz and 7.5 Hz or vice versa in different stimulation sequences, allowing to objectively disentangle the neural saliency of the eyes versus mouth region of a perceived face. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8–12 years old) and 21 TD control boys, matched for age and IQ.ResultsBoth groups looked longer at the eyes than the mouth, without any group difference in relative fixation duration to these features. TD boys looked significantly more to the nose, while the ASD boys looked more outside the face. EEG neural saliency data partly followed this pattern: neural responses to the upper or lower face half were not different between groups, but in the TD group, neural responses to the lower face halves were larger than responses to the upper part. Face exploration dynamics showed that TD individuals mostly maintained fixations within the same facial region, whereas individuals with ASD switched more often between the face parts.LimitationsReplication in large and independent samples may be needed to validate exploratory results.ConclusionsCombined eye-tracking and frequency-tagged neural responses show no support for the excess mouth/diminished eye gaze hypothesis in ASD. The more exploratory face scanning style observed in ASD might be related to their increased feature-based face processing style.

Abstract 13897: Native T1-mapping by Cardiac MRI as a Biomarker of Remodeling in Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is an important tool to assess cardiac disease progression in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), with native (pre-contrast) myocardial T1-mapping considered a possible biomarker of fibrosis. Due to its thin wall and highly trabeculated structure, the right ventricle (RV) remains understudied in DMD despite pre-clinical evidence of RV involvement. After determining the most robust method of obtaining RV-T1, we assessed the hypothesis that RV-T1 distinguishes healthy controls from boys with DMD. Boys with DMD (N=27) and age-matched healthy control boys (N=17) were prospectively enrolled for a 3T CMR exam (Skyra, Siemens). The CMR exam included standard functional imaging, LGE imaging, and native T1 maps acquired at diastasis. Native RV-T1 was evaluated in four regions of interest (ROIs): 1 pixel (px) along the RV centerline, 3px dilated RV centerline, a segment within the RV lateral wall, and the RV inferior wall (Figure 1). Robustness was assessed in controls only and was defined as an acceptable number of pixels, coefficient of variation (COV) per ROI, percentage of readable images, and lowest inter-observer variability across three observers. Subsequently, a t-test assessed the difference between boys with DMD and controls using the most robust RV ROI. Comparing the four ROIs, we found an average size of the ROI of 65, 196, 23, 25 px; a COV of 13.4%, 16.6%, 6.0%, 9.9%; and 75%, 75%, 93%, 81% of readable images. Intra-class correlation (0.75) was highest and both mean bias (20ms) and limits of agreement (100ms) were lowest for the RV 1px ROI. Using the 1px ROI, the RV-T1 was higher and more variable in boys with DMD compared to controls (1526 [1457,1650] ms vs. 1432 [1390,1486] ms; p&lt;0.0001). Native RV-T1 is elevated in boys with DMD, if measured along a 1px centerline ROI. The methods described herein may enable using native RV-T1 as a biomarker of fibrosis in DMD and other pathologies. Correlation with functional indices is pending.

Physical Activity in 6.5-Year-Old Children Born Extremely Preterm.

Physical activity (PA) can prevent cardiovascular diseases. Because of increased risks of impairments affecting motor activity, PA in children born preterm may differ from that in children born at term. In this prospective cohort study, we compared objectively measured PA in 71 children born extremely preterm (<27 weeks gestational age), to their 87 peers born at term, at 6.5 years of age. PA measured with accelerometer on the non-dominant wrist for 7 consecutive days was compared between index and control children and analyzed for associations to prenatal growth, major neonatal brain injury, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and neonatal septicemia, using ANOVA. Boys born extremely preterm spent on average 22 min less time per day in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than control boys (95% CI: −8, −37). There was no difference in girls. Amongst children born extremely preterm, major neonatal brain injury was associated with 56 min less time in MVPA per day (95%CI: −88, −26). Subgroups of children born extremely preterm exhibit lower levels of physical activity which may be a contributory factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases as adults.

Cortical gyrification and its relationships with molecular measures and cognition in children with the FMR1 premutation

Neurobiological basis for cognitive development and psychiatric conditions remains unexplored in children with the FMR1 premutation (PM). Knock-in mouse models of PM revealed defects in embryonic cortical development that may affect cortical folding. Cortical-folding complexity quantified using local gyrification index (LGI) was examined in 61 children (age 8–12 years, 19/14 male/female PM carriers, 15/13 male/female controls). Whole-brain vertex-wise analysis of LGI was performed for group comparisons and correlations with IQ. Individuals with aberrant gyrification in 68 cortical areas were identified using Z-scores of LGI (hyper: Z ≥ 2.58, hypo: Z ≤ − 2.58). Significant group-by-sex-by-age interaction in LGI was detected in right inferior temporal and fusiform cortices, which correlated negatively with CGG repeat length in the PM carriers. Sixteen PM boys (hyper/hypo: 7/9) and 10 PM girls (hyper/hypo: 2/5, 3 both) displayed aberrant LGI in 1–17 regions/person while 2 control boys (hyper/hypo: 0/2) and 2 control girls (hyper/hypo: 1/1) met the same criteria in only 1 region/person. LGI in the precuneus and cingulate cortices correlated positively with IQ scores in PM and control boys while negatively in PM girls and no significant correlation in control girls. These findings reveal aberrant gyrification, which may underlie cognitive performance in children with the PM.

Spontaneous age-related changes of attention in unmedicated boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objective Neuropsychological, neuroanatomical, and electrophysiological studies have reported a steady increase in the different attention types until the age of 10 years. Moreover, differences between healthy control (HC) boys and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) become nonsignificant in late childhood. This cross-sectional study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of attentional processing in boys with ADHD and HC in the 6:00-10:11 years age range. Methods: Age-related changes in attentional processing were compared between Caucasian Turkic boys (72-131 months of age) with ADHD (n = 144) and HC (n = 112). Selective, focused, and inhibitory attention were measured using the Stroop Test (5 scores); sustained attention was measured using the Cancellation Test (3 scores); and attention span was measured using the Visual Aural Digit Span Test-Revised (6 scores). Results: At the age of 6 years, the ADHD group had a significantly lower performance for all attention types. By the age of 10 years, there were no significant between-group differences. However, the component structure of the neuropsychological test scores in the ADHD group differed from that in the HC group and previous studies. Conclusions: Attentional processing in boys with ADHD changes within the age-range of 6:00-10:00 years where it finally becomes similar to that in HC boys. This delayed maturation is consistent with the maturational lag model of ADHD. However, there was a between-group difference in the component structure of attentional processing, which is consistent with the maturational deviance model of ADHD.

Rambling-trembling analysis of postural control in children aged 3-6 years diagnosed with developmental delay during infancy

BackgroundPreschool age is fundamental for the development of gross motor skills. Timely detection of postural stability deficits using objective methods would facilitate early implementation of therapeutic strategies. Research questionWhat are the age- and gender-related differences in postural control between preschool children diagnosed with developmental delay in their first year of life and children with typical development? MethodsThe study group consisted of 59 children diagnosed with developmental delay during infancy, who had received physiotherapy in the first year of their life for disorders of postural control and prone locomotion as well as abnormal distribution and magnitude of postural tone. The control group comprised 66 nursery school children with typical development and no history of postural control or movement deficits and no physiotherapy interventions in the first year of their life. The study and control groups were subdivided into four subgroups based on age (3–4 years, 5–6 years) and gender (boys, girls).The data were collected during quiet standing using a force plate. Three 30-second trials were recorded. Stabilographic recordings were analysed using the rambling-trembling approach. ResultsThree-way ANOVA revealed a gender effect on all measured variables (p < 0.05). The Tukey HSD (honest significant difference) post-hoc test showed that some of the values of sway range and mean velocity of COP, rambling and trembling in sagittal and frontal plane were significantly greater in control boys aged 3–4 years compared to other subgroups (p < 0.05). SignificanceLong-term postural control monitoring by a pediatrician and/or physiotherapist seems justified and not only in children with a history of infantile developmental delay but also in their healthy peers, especially boys.

The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Thyroid Hormone Levels in Obese Boys

Aim: Although beneficial effects of physical exercises on adulthood obesity are well known, it is unclear how physical exercises affect thyroid hormone related body composition, basal metabolic rate and thermogenesis in obese children. Our objective is to examine the effects of physical exercise program on 3-5-3’triiodothyronine (T3) and 3-5-3’-5’tetraiodothyronine (T4) in obese boys. Materials and Method: Our study consisted of 10 obese boys (aged from 13 to 15) and a control group of 10 healthy boys age and gender matched. Before exercise program, 10 ml blood samples were taken from the obese and control group boys; and 10 ml blood samples were taken from the obese boys after program exercise 3 days/week for 12 weeks. The lipid profiles, creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB, T3 and T4 levels in blood samples were measured for both groups. Results: In present study, it was found that control group and obese boys after aerobic exercise had significantly higher T3 and T4 levels (1.63±0.17; 9.80±0.93 and 1.70±0.10; 10.1±0.54, respectively) and significantly lower CK levels (142.7±4.11 and 151.8±3.70, respectively) than those of obese boys before aerobic exercise (1.19±0.81; 7.37±0.47 and 165.3±2.49, respectively). Furthermore, it was found that aerobic exercise significantly decreased triglyceride and cholesterol levels in obese boys (104.0±3.77 and 193.7±2.90, respectively). Conclusion: When these findings are taken into account, it may be suggested that aerobic exercises can help with the improvement of decreased thyroid hormone levels which may be cause a weight increase together with a decrease in basal metabolic rate and thermogenesis in obese boys.

Phthalates, Para-Hydroxybenzoic Acids, Bisphenol-A, and Gonadal Hormones’ Effects on Susceptibility to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study aimed to examine whether endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as phthalates, para-hydroxybenzoic acids, and bisphenol-A (BPA), affect gonadal hormones and further link to the susceptibility to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We recruited 98 boys with ADHD, 32 girls with ADHD, 42 boys without ADHD and any other psychiatric disorders, and 26 girls without ADHD and any other psychiatric disorders. Urine levels of EDCs, including mono-methyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), butylparaben (BP), and bisphenol A (BPA), were examined. Endocrine systems were evaluated by using the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and prolactin. We found that boys with ADHD had higher levels of MnBP and EP than control boys. There were no significant differences regarding EDCs between the females with ADHD and control groups. No significant differences in testosterone, free testosterone, FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, or SHBG were found between the ADHD group and controls among either boys or girls. Among boys with ADHD, urine MBzP and MEHP levels were positively correlated with serum testosterone levels. Among girls, urine MEP levels were positively correlated with serum LH, testosterone, and free testosterone levels. The findings suggest that the possibility of an adverse impact of EDCs on gonadal hormones and neurodevelopment may exist. However, the results could be subject to potential selection bias, and the findings in this study should be interpreted with caution.

Frequency-Tagging Electroencephalography of Superimposed Social and Non-Social Visual Stimulation Streams Reveals Reduced Saliency of Faces in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with social communication and interaction. The social motivation hypothesis states that a reduced interest in social stimuli may partly underlie these difficulties. Thus far, however, it has been challenging to quantify individual differences in social orientation and interest, and to pinpoint the neural underpinnings of it. In this study, we tested the neural sensitivity for social versus non-social information in 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 typically developing (TD) control boys, matched for age and IQ, while children were engaged in an orthogonal task. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) during fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) of social versus non-social stimuli to obtain an objective implicit neural measure of relative social bias. Streams of variable images of faces and houses were superimposed, and each stream of stimuli was tagged with a particular presentation rate (i.e., 6 and 7.5 Hz or vice versa). This frequency-tagging method allows disentangling the respective neural responses evoked by the different streams of stimuli. Moreover, by using superimposed stimuli, we controlled for possible effects of preferential looking, spatial attention, and disengagement. Based on four trials of 60 s, we observed a significant three-way interaction. In the control group, the frequency-tagged neural responses to faces were larger than those to houses, especially in lateral occipito-temporal channels, while the responses to houses were larger over medial occipital channels. In the ASD group, however, faces and houses did not elicit significantly different neural responses in any of the regions. Given the short recording time of the frequency-tagging paradigm with multiple simultaneous inputs and the robustness of the individual responses, the method could be used as a sensitive marker of social preference in a wide range of populations, including younger and challenging populations.

Definition: Implicit memory

Developmental accounts of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) state that infants and children with ASD are spontaneously less attracted by and less proficient in processing social stimuli such as faces. This is hypothesized to partly underlie social communication difficulties in ASD. While in some studies a reduced preference for social stimuli has been shown in individuals with ASD, effect sizes are moderate and vary across studies, stimuli, and designs. Eye tracking, often the methodology of choice to study social preference, conveys information about overt orienting processes but conceals covert attention, possibly resulting in an underestimation of the effects. In this study, we recorded eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) during fast periodic visual stimulation to address this issue. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 typically developing (TD) control boys, matched for age and IQ. Streams of variable images of faces were presented at 6 Hz alongside images of houses presented at 7.5 Hz or vice versa, while children were engaged in an orthogonal task. While frequency-tagged neural responses were larger in response to faces than simultaneously presented houses in both groups, this effect was much larger in TD boys than in boys with ASD. This group difference in saliency of social versus non-social processing is significant after 5 sec of stimulus presentation and holds throughout the entire trial. Although there was no interaction between group and stimulus category for simultaneously recorded eye-tracking data, eye tracking and EEG measures were strongly correlated. We conclude that frequency-tagging EEG, allowing monitoring of both overt and covert processes, provides a fast, objective and reliable measure of decreased preference for social information in ASD.

Truncal growth pattern of Yogasana-practising children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: Truncal growth forms a robust skeletal frame which determines athletic execution. At present, yogasana practice is in high demand. AIM: Thus, the evaluation of effect of yogasana on growth pattern during childhood and adolescence (aged 4–15 years) is required. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on Bengalee children of similar socioeconomic status. Anthropometric measurements, namely height (stature), biacromial breadth, and bicristal breadth were analyzed from 864 yogasana-practitioners (YPs) and 738 untrained control participants (CPs), subgrouped into yogasana-practising boys (YBs), yogasana-practising girls (YGs), control boys (CBs), and control girls (CGs). Unpaired t-test was performed to assess the level of significance between the anthropometric parameters of different groups. Correlation of breadth ratio and stature with biacromial and bicristal breadth was determined by Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: YP had significantly greater biacromial breadth (P CONCLUSION: Medium-sized shoulder and pelvis in YB and medium-sized shoulder relative to narrow-sized pelvis in YG nullifies the effect of yogasana training on specific bodily growth of YP. Hence, in contrast with high-demand sports, yogasana practice is not reflected on truncal growth.

Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye tracking reveal reduced social bias in boys with autism spectrum disorder

Developmental accounts of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) state that infants and children with ASD are spontaneously less attracted by and less proficient in processing social stimuli such as faces. This is hypothesized to partly underlie social communication difficulties in ASD. While in some studies a reduced preference for social stimuli has been shown in individuals with ASD, effect sizes are moderate and vary across studies, stimuli, and designs. Eye tracking, often the methodology of choice to study social preference, conveys information about overt orienting processes but conceals covert attention, possibly resulting in an underestimation of the effects. In this study, we recorded eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) during fast periodic visual stimulation to address this issue. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 typically developing (TD) control boys, matched for age and IQ. Streams of variable images of faces were presented at 6 Hz alongside images of houses presented at 7.5 Hz or vice versa, while children were engaged in an orthogonal task. While frequency-tagged neural responses were larger in response to faces than simultaneously presented houses in both groups, this effect was much larger in TD boys than in boys with ASD. This group difference in saliency of social versus non-social processing is significant after 5 sec of stimulus presentation and holds throughout the entire trial. Although there was no interaction between group and stimulus category for simultaneously recorded eye-tracking data, eye tracking and EEG measures were strongly correlated. We conclude that frequency-tagging EEG, allowing monitoring of both overt and covert processes, provides a fast, objective and reliable measure of decreased preference for social information in ASD.

Cultural values and romantic relationship satisfaction in Mexican adolescents: The moderating effects of parental psychological control and gender

IntroductionCultural values and parent-adolescent relationships may impact adolescents' romantic relationship quality. The goal of this study was to examine whether perceived mothers' and fathers’ psychological control and gender moderated associations between cultural values (i.e., machismo, caballerismo, views of female virginity) and romantic relationship satisfaction in Mexican adolescents. MethodsSelf-report survey data were collected from 213 adolescents (M = 14.59 years old; 50.5% girls) from two public schools in Mexico. All participants were in a romantic relationship at time of study, and reported on their age, gender, endorsement of cultural values (i.e., machismo, caballerismo, views of female virginity), perceived parental psychological control, and romantic satisfaction. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a romantic relationship satisfaction scale. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess interactions between cultural values, mothers' and fathers’ psychological control, and gender on romantic relationship satisfaction. ResultsFindings revealed adolescents who endorsed caballerismo reported higher relationship satisfaction. These associations were strongest for adolescent girls reporting low maternal psychological control and adolescent boys reporting high maternal psychological control. Perceived fathers’ psychological control did not moderate associations between cultural values and romantic satisfaction. No associations were found between machismo, female virginity, and romantic relationship satisfaction. ConclusionAdolescents’ caballersimo values were linked to higher relationship satisfaction. Findings suggest that parent education programs in Mexico may benefit from teaching parents to instill values of caballerismo in their romantically involved adolescents. Additionally, specialists working with Mexican adolescent girls may help them reframe perceived psychologically controlling behaviors into attempts to communicate affection.

Boys with autism spectrum disorder have distinct cortical folding patterns underpinning impaired self-regulation: a surface-based morphometry study.

Although impaired self-regulation (dysregulation) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) garnered increasing awareness, the neural mechanism of dysregulation in ASD are far from conclusive. To complement our previous voxel-based morphometry findings, we estimated the cortical thickness, surface area, and local gyrification index based on the surface-based morphometry from structural MRI images in 85 ASD and 65 typically developing control (TDC) boys, aged 7-17years. Levels of dysregulation were measured by the sum of T-scores of Attention, Aggression, and Anxiety/Depression subscales on the Child Behavior Checklist. We found both ASD and TDC shared similar relationships between dysregulation and cortical folding patterns in the left superior and inferior temporal gyri and the left premotor cortex. Significant diagnosis by dysregulation interactions in cortical folding patterns were identified over the right middle frontal and right lateral orbitofrontal regions. The statistical significance of greater local gyrification index in ASD than TDC in several brain regions disappeared when the level of dysregulation was considered. The findings of shared and distinct neural correlates underpinning dysregulation between ASD and TDC may facilitate the development of targeted interventions in the future. The present work also demonstrates that inter-subject variations in self-regulation may explain some extents of ASD-associated brain morphometric differences, likely suggesting that dysregulation is one of the yardsticks for dissecting the heterogeneity of ASD.

Peripheral Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Contactin-1 Levels in Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) facilitates neuronal growth and plasticity, and is crucial for learning and memory. Contactin-1 (CNTN1) is a member of the subfamily of neural immunoglobulin and is involved in the formation of axon connections in the developing nervous system. This cross-sectional study investigates whether BDNF and CNTN1 affect susceptibility to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A total of 136 drug-naïve patients with ADHD (108 boys and 28 girls) and 71 healthy controls (45 boys and 26 girls) were recruited. Blood samples were obtained to measure the plasma levels of BDNF and CNTN1 in each child. We found that BDNF levels in the ADHD boys exceeded those in the control boys, but BDNF levels in the ADHD girls were lower than those in the control girls. Boys who had higher BDNF levels performed worse on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition, but girls who had higher BDNF levels made fewer omission errors in the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test. However, CNTN1 level did not differ significantly between patients and controls, and were not correlated to ADHD characteristics, regardless of gender. The findings suggest BDNF may influence sex-specific susceptibility to ADHD, but CNTN1 was not associated with ADHD pathophysiology.

Mullerian inhibiting substance, sex hormone binding globulin and sex hormone levels in stimulant-naïve, first-diagnosed prepubertal boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: comparison with matched healthy controls as well as before and after oros-methylpenidate treatment

Objectives: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with strong male predominance. Since Müllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) produces sex-linked bias in animal studies, we aimed to investigate the role of MIS, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) and sex hormone levels in boys with ADHD.Methods: We compared prepubertal, psychostimulant-naïve boys with ADHD with age-matched healthy control boys (HCs). Patients were re-evaluated after 30 days of methylphenidate treatment assessing ADHD severity, and serum MIS, testosterone, estradiol, and albumin concentrations.Results: Compared to 30 HCs, with ADHD (n = 49, age = 6.9 ± 0.2 years) had lower SHBG (p = .014), and higher free testosterone (p = 0.006) and bioavailable testosterone (p = .002) percentages. Methylphenidate improved ADHD measures (all p < .0001) and abnormal baseline hormonal levels, increasing SHBG levels (p = .024), and lowering free (p = .001) and bioavailable testosterone (p = .016) percentages so that only free testosterone percentages remained higher versus HCs post-treatment (p = .02).Conclusions: Compared to age- and sex-matched HCs, prepubertal, stimulant-naïve boys with ADHD had significantly lower SHBG and higher free and bioavailable testosterone percentages, suggesting a possible contribution of sex hormones to ADHD. Osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate treatment for 30 days significantly improved ADHD symptoms and abnormal sex hormone levels, normalizing SHBG and bioavailable testosterone percentages that were similar to HCs while free testosterone remained elevated versus HCs.Key pointsCompare to healthy matched controls prepubertal stimulant-naïve boys with ADHD had significantly lower SHBG and higher free and bioavailable testosterone percentages, suggesting a possible effect on sex hormones to ADHD.After 30-day methylphenidate treatment, ADHD symptoms significantly improved, and SHBG and bioavailable testosterone percentages normalized which were similar to HCs, while free testosterone remained elevated versus HCs.We found a negative relationship between MIS levels and hyperactivity scores in ADHD boys. This finding suggests that MIS may contribute to hyperactivity symptoms, either directly by affecting behavior or indirectly by affecting sex hormone levels.