Precursors of Personality Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Personality disorders are common psychiatric disorders in community that cause substantial disruption of functionality. Current diagnostic systems do not include classification of personality disorders in children. However, in recent years there has been an increasing interest in investigation of personality traits and disorders at childhood and adolescence as a precursor of adult personality disorders. The aim of this article was to review the precursors of personality disorders at childhood and adolescenc

MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism in autism spectrum disorders

Aim. Autism is a subgroup of autism spectrum disorders, classified as a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder and symptoms occur in the first three years of life. The etiology of autism is largely unknown, but it has been accepted that genetic and environmental factors may both be responsible for the disease. Recent studies have revealed that the genes involved in the folate/homocysteine pathway may be risk factors for autistic children. In particular, C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene as a possible risk factor for autism is still controversial. We aimed to investigate the possible effect of C677T polymorphism in a Turkish cohort. Methods. Autism patients were diagnosed by child psychiatrists according to DSM-IV and DSM-V criteria. A total of 98 children diagnosed as autistic and 70 age and sex-matched children who are nonautistic were tested for C677T polymorphism. This polymorphism was studied by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. Results. MTHFR 677T-allele frequency was found to be higher in autistic children compared with nonautistic children (29% versus 24%), but it was not found statistically significant. Conclusions. We conclude that other MTHFR polymorphisms such as A1298C or other folate/homocysteine pathway genes may be studied to show their possible role in autism

Oxidative stress in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate oxidative stress in ADHD children

By an elder sister abuse: a brother case

WOS: 000356969000011Incest, which is considered as a special topic in child abuse, is one of the most traumatic forms of sexual abuse. In incest cases, notification rates are relatively low, especially the sexual abuse between siblings remains hidden much more than other sexual abuses. In this case report, which appears in a random manner, 12-year-old male patient, who was abused by his sister, will be discussed. Our incest case has a big importance because of having a sister as an abuser, since incest abusers often considered to be fathers or brothers. At this point, the possibility of having the abuse carried out by anyone from children's social environment including each family members should be kept in mind

The relationship between aggression, empathy skills and serum oxytocin levels in male children and adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

Although attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are recognized as neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairment in executive functions, impairments in social functioning are often accompanied by ADHD. Oxytocin (OT) has been investigated in a number of psychiatric disorders owing to its effects on social interactions. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between aggression, empathy and OT levels in children with ADHD. Forty male patients with ADHD, ranging in age from 7 to 18 years, and 40 healthy age-matched and sex-matched individuals were included in this study. The patients and healthy controls filled in the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Bryant's Empathy Index for Children and Adolescents; the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test was then completed. Blood samples were collected for OT at the beginning of the study. Lower serum OT levels were observed in patients with ADHD compared with the healthy controls. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between serum OT level and aggression scores and a positive correlation between the serum OT level and empathy scores in patients with ADHD. We conclude that OT may play a role in aggression and empathy skills, affecting the social life of those with ADHD. (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

Determination of restless legs syndrome prevalence in children aged 13-16 years in the provincial center of Kayseri

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence rate of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and associated factors in adolescents aged 13-16 years in the provincial center of Kayseri

A Life-Threatening Presentation of Child Physical Abuse Jejunal Perforation

Intra-abdominal injuries from impacts are the second most common cause of death in battered children. However, it may be difficult to distinguish between accidental abdominal injury and abuse, especially in the absence of other clinical findings. Published reports are also limited about the diagnosis of abuse in children with intra-abdominal injury. We report a case with jejunal perforation, multiple soft tissue injuries, and occipital fracture secondary to child abuse who was initially admitted to our hospital with complaint of fever, cough, and vomiting. An exploratory laparotomy revealed perforation of the jejunum, and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The patient was evaluated by the hospital's child protective team to implement appropriate diagnostic and child-protective interventions, and the child was discharged home in 10 days