1,721,043 research outputs found
New Advances in Neuropsychiatric Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence
Full text linkNeurological and psychiatric disorders during developmental ages affect an increasing share of the pediatric population, both due to the increased understanding and attention paid to these issues and due to increased risk factors [...]
The Complex Association between Sleep Quality, Psychological Wellbeing, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood
Full text link: During child development, the psychophysiological state is influenced by factors such as family routine, school experiences, stressful life events, or, in general, the environmental context in which the child grows up [...]
SUNCT/SUNA in Pediatric Age: A Review of Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Options
Full text linkThe International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD3) defines Shortlasting
Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks (SUNHA) as attacks of moderate or severe, strictly
unilateral head pain lasting from seconds to minutes, occurring at least once a day and usually
associated with prominent lacrimation and redness of the ipsilateral eye. Two subtypes of SUNHA
are identified: Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform headache attacks with Conjunctival injection
and Tearing (SUNCT) and Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial
Autonomic symptoms (SUNA). These pathologies are infrequent in children and difficult to diagnose.
The authors reviewed the existing literature on SUNCT and SUNA, especially in the developmental
age, which describes the pathophysiology in detail and focuses on the therapeutic options available
to date. SUNHA-type headaches must be considered on the one hand, for the possibility of the onset
of forms secondary to underlying pathologies even of a neoplastic nature, and on the other hand, for
the negative impact they can have on an individual’s quality of life, particularly in young patients.
Until now, published cases suggest that no chronic variants occur in childhood and adolescents. In
light of this evidence, the authors offer a review that may serve as a source to be drawn upon in the
implementation of suitable treatments in children and adolescents suffering from these headaches,
focusing on therapies that are non-invasive and as risk-free as possible for pediatric patients
Sleep disturbances in Angelman syndrome: A questionnaire study
No full textOnly few studies are available on sleep disorders in Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder with several behavior disturbances. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders in a relatively large group of AS subjects, compared to that of age-matched controls. Fourty-nine consecutive parents of patients with AS (26 males and 23 females aged 2.3-26.2 years) were interviewed and filled out a comprehensive sleep questionnaire. Based on their genetic etiology, four groups were defined: deletion of chromosome 15q11-13 (25 subjects); methylation imprinting mutation (six subjects), UBE3A mutations (seven subjects) and paternal uniparental disomy (five subjects). In the remaining cases genetic testings were negative. A significantly high frequency of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, prolonged sleep latency, prolonged wakefulness after sleep onset, high number of night awakenings and reduced total sleep time were found in our AS patients, as compared to age-matched controls. We also found other types of sleep disorders, never reported before, such as enuresis, bruxism, sleep terrors, somnambulism, nocturnal hyperkinesia, and snoring. No differences were found between the four genetic aetiology groups. Moreover, we did not find important improvement of sleep disturbances from pre-pubertal to post-pubertal ages. Our data confirm the significant presence of sleep/wake rhythms fragmentation, peculiar of AS, and also demonstrate the presence of several other types of sleep disturbances in this syndrome. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Noli Me Tangere: Social Touch, Tactile Defensiveness, and Communication in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Full text linkAbstract: Tactile defensiveness is a common feature in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Since the first studies, tactile defensiveness has been described as the result of an abnormal response to sensory stimulation. Moreover, it has been studied how the tactile system is closely linked to socio-communicative development and how the interoceptive sensory system supports both a discriminating touch and an aective touch. Therefore, several neurophysiological studies have been conducted to investigate the neurobiological basis of the development and functioning of the tactile system for a better understanding of the tactile defensiveness behavior and the social touch of NDDs. Given the lack of recent literature on tactile defensiveness, the current study provides a brief overview of the original contributions on this research topic in children with NDDs focusing attention on how this behavior has been considered over the years in the clinical setting
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Epilepsy: Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications
Full text linkAbstract: The co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy is a complex
neurological condition that presents significant challenges for both patients and clinicians.
ASD is a group of complex developmental disorders characterized by the following: (1)
Social communication difficulties: challenges in understanding and responding to social
cues, initiating and maintaining conversations, and developing and maintaining
relationships. (2) Repetitive behaviors: engaging in repetitive actions, such as handflapping, rocking, or lining up objects. (3) Restricted interests: focusing intensely on
specific topics or activities, often to the exclusion of other interests. (4) Sensory
sensitivities: over- or under-sensitivity to sensory input, such as sounds, touch, tastes,
smells, or sights. These challenges can significantly impact individuals’ daily lives and
require specialized support and interventions. Early diagnosis and intervention can
significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with ASD and their families.
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked (≥2) seizures
that occur > 24 h apart. Single seizures are not considered epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is
often idiopathic, but various brain disorders, such as malformations, strokes, and tumors,
can cause symptomatic epilepsy. While these two conditions were once considered
distinct, growing evidence suggests a substantial overlap in their underlying
neurobiology. The prevalence of epilepsy in individuals with ASD is significantly higher
than in the general population. This review will explore the epidemiology of this
comorbidity, delve into the potential mechanisms linking ASD and epilepsy, and discuss
the implications for diagnosis, treatment, and management
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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