Resolution of enuresis with aripiprazole in children with psychiatric disorders: two case reports

Background: Aripiprazole is a third-generation atypical antipsychotic drug that acts as a stabilizer of the dopaminergic and serotonergic system. As partial agonist of the dopamine (D2) and serotonin (5-HT1A) receptors, it appears to be efective in reducing mania in patients with bipolar disorder, tics in Tourette Syndrome, aggression in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Enuresis has been reported among its side efects. Only a few studies, with conficting results, have investigated the relationship between aripiprazole and enuresis. Case presentation: We report the disappearance of enuresis in a Caucasian girl with intellectual disability and oppositional defant disorder and in a Caucasian boy with intellectual disability and early-onset psychosis, both following initiation of treatment with aripiprazole. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to contribute to the literature on the use of aripripazole in subjects with enuresis. Our fndings lead us to suggest that aripiprazole is less burdened with side efects, including bedwetting, than other antipsychotic drugs

Multidisciplinary studies on a sick-leader syndrome-associated mass stranding of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) along the Adriatic coast of Italy

Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are rare in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, in 2014 a pod of 7 specimens stranded alive along the Italian coast of the Central Adriatic Sea: 3 individuals died on the beach after a few hours due to internal damages induced by prolonged recumbency; the remaining 4 whales were refloated after great efforts. All the dead animals were genetically related females; one was pregnant. All the animals were infected by dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and the pregnant whale was also affected by a severe nephropathy due to a large kidney stone. Other analyses ruled out other possible relevant factors related to weather conditions or human activities. The results of multidisciplinary post-mortem analyses revealed that the 7 sperm whales entered the Adriatic Sea encountering adverse weather conditions and then kept heading northward following the pregnant but sick leader of the pod, thereby reaching the stranding site. DMV infection most likely played a crucial role in impairing the health condition and orientation abilities of the whales. They did not steer back towards deeper waters, but eventually stranded along the Central Adriatic Sea coastline, a real trap for sperm whales

MATERNAL EXPOSURE TO STRESSFUL/TRAUMATIC EVENTS AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN OFFSPRING: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A CASE CONTROL PILOT STUDY.

The correlation between maternal exposure to stressful and traumatic events during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring has been studied in the literature. Fewer studies, however, have considered the mother's exposure to traumatic events during childhood. This work focuses on maternal exposure to these events in childhood and/or adulthood, relating it to autism spectrum disorder in offspring. A questionnaire was used to assess whether and to what type of event the mothers have been exposed, and to assess eventual peri-traumatic dissociation related to the traumatic event. The mothers involved in this study were recruited at the Child Neuropsychiatry Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital of Palermo. 22 mothers (natural mothers) gave their time to participate in this pilot study, and all who were considered have the characteristics required to be enrolled in this study. The control group consists of 50 mothers of children with diagnosis of language disorder (LD). The difference between maternal exposure to stressful and traumatic events in the group of cases compared to the control group is statistically significant (p = 0.03); the median value is 7 in the cases vs 4.5 in controls. The finding of a greater number of stressful and traumatic events in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder compared to mothers of children with language disorder could suggest the existence of a correlation between maternal exposure to stress and trauma and the risk of developing autism in offsprin