Community Engagement newsletter, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Winter, August 2015

Launch of the Gauteng IDC Nguni Cattle Development Trust / Sipho Mosegedi -- Hearts of hope in Hluvukani / Tarryn Ferguson, Carlien Muller, Selma Schmidt and Rebecca Erdelen -- The 2015 Faculty Open Day / Lesego Teffu -- Visit to Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital / Prof George E Otiang’a-Owiti -- Community talks / Kobus Rabe, Rhynardt de Ridder, Ilse Jenkinson & Maike Ottermann.News articles with colour photos about the various community engagement projects of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria.ab201

Reliability of the Functional Auditory Performance Indicators (FAPI) to monitor progress in five-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Atypical processing of auditory information in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be observed at a neurological as well as at a behavioural level. The Functional Auditory Performance Indicators (FÁPI) is an observational monitoring tool for pre-school children with hearing loss, but has not yet been described in children with ASD. A reliable instrument to monitor progress of functional auditory performance in young children with ASD may contribute to evidence-based practice during intervention. Method: The aim was to describe the overall performance of five-year-old children with ASD on the FÁPI; to determine the test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability of the tool. The study was exploratory with a descriptive design incorporating repeated measures. Twelve participants with ASD were purposely selected. The mean age was 65 months and all were exposed to English as additional language. Ten of the 12 participants had very little speech as reported by their parents. Pre-recorded sound and speech stimuli were used to elicit responses from participants in their familiar therapy rooms. For test-retest reliability three data collection sessions per participant were conducted over a two-week period. Video recordings were provided in randomised order and analysed by two independent raters. The raters were blind to the order of data sets. Results and conclusion: With an increase in complexity of auditory stimuli a marked decrease in response was observed in the participants. Category seven, the highest level of auditory responses, demonstrating the child's ability to process linguistic information, showed the least responses The test-retest reliability was good, with a single difference in the category 'Awareness and meaning of sound'. Inter-rater reliability indicated a significant difference in two of the seven categories of the FÁPI, 'Awareness and meaning of sound' and 'Sound localisation' with p-values of 0,006 and 0,003. These categories may be the most subjective in the tool. Despite some subjectivity in two of the seven categories the FÁPI was reliable to plot functional auditory performance in the sample group. Since the instrument relies on direct observation with very few demands to participate on a social level, it has potential for use in five-year-old children with ASD. Further research is required to determine the tool's performance using natural sound conditions to monitor the progress of children with ASD longitudinally, against themselves during intervention.Dissertation (M Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2016.Speech-Language Pathology and AudiologyMCommunication PathologyUnrestricte

Reliability of the Functional Auditory Performance Indicators to monitor progress in 5-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder

There is a need to dynamically monitor progress of functional auditory performance in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Functional Auditory Performance Indicators (FAPI) is a monitoring tool for children with hearing loss but has not yet been described in children with ASD. The aim was to describe the overall performance of 5-year-old children with ASD on the FAPI and to determine the test–retest reliability and inter-rater reliability of the tool. The study was exploratory with a descriptive within-subjects design incorporating repeated measures. Twelve participants with ASD were purposely selected. Pre- recorded sound and speech stimuli were used to elicit responses from participants in their familiar therapy rooms. For test–retest reliability, three data collection sessions per participant were conducted over a 2-week period. Video recordings were analysed by two independent raters, who were blind to the order of data sets. With an increase in complexity of auditory stimuli, a marked decrease in response was observed. The test–retest reliability was good, with a single difference in one category. Inter-rater reliability indicated a significant difference in two of the seven categories. These categories may be the most subjective in the tool. Despite subjectivity the FAPI was reliable to plot functional auditory difficulties in the sample group. Because the instrument relies on direct observation with limited demands to participate with the rater, it has potential for use in children with ASD. Further research is required to determine the tool’s performance using natural sound conditions to monitor children’s progress against themselves during intervention

Platelets bridging the gap between gut dysbiosis and neuroinflammation in stress-linked disorders: A narrative review.

In this narrative review, we examine the association between gut dysbiosis, neuroinflammation, and stress-linked disorders, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and investigate whether tryptophan (TRP) metabolism and platelets play a role in this association. The mechanisms underlying the aetiology of stress-linked disorders are complex and not yet completely understood. However, a potential link between chronic inflammation and these disorders may potentially be found in TRP metabolism and platelets. By critically analysing existing literature on platelets, the gut microbiome, and stress-linked disorders, we hope to elicit the role of platelets in mediating the effects on serotonin (5-HT) levels and neuroinflammation. We have included studies specifically investigating platelets and TRP metabolism in relation to inflammation, neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders. Alteration in microbial composition due to stress could contribute to increased intestinal permeability, facilitating the translocation of microbial products, and triggering the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This causes platelets to become hyperactive and secrete 5-HT into the plasma. Increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines may also lead to increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing inflammatory mediators entry into the brain, affecting the balance of TRP metabolism products, such as 5-HT, kynurenic acid (KYNA), and quinolinic acid (QUIN). These alterations may contribute to neuroinflammation and possible neurological damage. Furthermore, platelets can cross the compromised BBB and interact with astrocytes and neurons, leading to the secretion of 5-HT and pro-inflammatory factors, exacerbating inflammatory conditions in the brain. The mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation resulting from peripheral inflammation are still unclear, but the connection between the brain and gut through the bloodstream could be significant. Identifying peripheral biomarkers and mechanisms in the plasma that reflect neuroinflammation may be important. This review serves as a foundation for further research on the association between the gut microbiome, blood microbiome, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The integration of these findings with protein and metabolite markers in the blood may expand our understanding of the subject. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.