Small for gestational age is an independent risk factor for N neurodevelopmental impairment

Background: There is a deficit of publications regarding the impact of small for gestational age (SGA) on later neurodevelopment of premature infants and existing results are conflicting. Objectives: The aim of the present study was multifaceted neurodevelopmental assessment of children born prematurely, with particular assessment of SGA as an independent risk factor for impairment in prematurely born children. Methods: Eighty-nine children born with very low birth weight were evaluated at the age of 50 months. Anthropometric measurements and several psychomotor tests (WeeFIM-Functional Independence Measure scale, Leiter Test-Non-Verbal Psychometric Evaluation, DTVP-2-Developmental test of Visual Perception, CAST-Childhood Autism Spectrum test, EAS-C-temperament questionnaire and TSD-children vocabulary test) were performed in each child. Results: SGA appears to be a risk factor for low self-reliance (mean WeeFIM score 89 ± 20 points vs 99 ± 15; P = 0.034), decreased non-verbal intelligence (Leiter score 87±18 points vs 100±18 points; P = 0.022) and low visual perception (Frostig test 81±17 points vs 93±17 points; P = 0.035). Moreover, the incidence of autism spectrum disorders was significantly higher in the SGA group (21% vs 2.8%; P = 0.029). There were no differences in frequency of cerebral palsy diagnosis, vocabulary test results and temper tests scores between SGA and AGA groups. Conclusions: Birth weight small for gestational age seems to be an additional, independent risk factor of neurodevelopmental delay in prematurely born childre

Temperament traits in 4-year-old children born prematurely : may they suggest a threat for mental functioning?

Aim. The aim of the study was to assess emotional functioning and identification of temperamental traits in 4-year-old children born prematurely with birth weight ≤ 1500 grams. The second aim was evaluation of autism spectrum disorders frequency in this group of children. Method. Eighty-six 4-year-old children born prematurely (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks, birth weight ≤ 1500 grams) were evaluated. All children underwent physical examination (with the assessment of motor function, vision and hearing), anthropometric measurements and psychomotor tests: Leiter International Performance Scale P-93, Children Vocabulary Test (TSD), temperament questionnaire (EAS-C), and CAST questionnaire. Parents were asked to fill in questionnaires assessing socio-economic conditions of the family and children attendance in kindergarten or early development support. Results. In the EAS-C questionnaire hyperactivity and reduced emotionality were significantly more common comparing to population. Children with lower gestational age and lower birth weight were characterized with low emotionality score. Children with the CAST score ≥ 12 points were significantly smaller at birth, more often suffered from retinopathy of prematurity and had poorer results in neurodevelopmental tests – Leiter scale, Children Vocabulary Test. Conclusions. Children born prematurely are at greater risk of the occurrence of hyperactivity and autism spectrum symptoms. Detection of emotional disorders in children born prematurely is essential to implement the therapeutic support as early as possible

Effects of exercise of different intensity on gut peptides, energy intake and appetite in young males

Introduction and research aims: The aim of the work was an evaluation of the impact of physical exertion on the regulating of food intake and digestive system hormone release as well as the partly connected phenomenon of evaluating the subjective sensation of hunger and the amount of food consumed at various time following physical exercise. Materials and methods: The tests covered 12 young, healthy men, for whom the effects of physical exertion of a moderate and high intensity on the subjective sensation of hunger/satiety, evaluated by means of visual analogue scales, on food intake as well as on the metabolic and hormonal parameters were tested. Results: Physical exertion resulted in a fall in the subjective sensation of hunger, but only following intensive exertion was this statistically significant. The intake of food was greater after exertion when compared to the control group. Moderate exertion resulted in a statistically significant but short-lived increase in the ghrelin level. This effect was not observed after intensive exertion, while in those tests during the post-meal period there occurred a fall in the concentration of ghrelin in the plasma. After exertion a physical fall was observed in the concentration of insulin in the plasma, for the intake of food resulted in a notable increase in its level. Conclusions: Physical highly intensive exertion, results in a temporary reduction in the subjective sensation of hunger but leads to an increased food intake. The current research suggests that moderate but not intensive physical exertion stimulates the secretion of ghrelin

Relationship between stereoscopic vision, visual perception, and microstructure changes of corpus callosum and occipital white matter in the 4-year-old very low birth weight children

Aim. To assess the relationship between stereoscopic vision, visual perception, and microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC) and occipital white matter, 61 children born with a mean birth weight of 1024 g (SD 270 g) were subjected to detailed ophthalmologic evaluation, Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-3), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at the age of 4. Results. Abnormal stereoscopic vision was detected in 16 children. Children with abnormal stereoscopic vision had smaller CC (CC length: 53±6 mm versus 61±4 mm; p<0.01; estimated CC area: 314±106 mm2 versus 446±79 mm2; p<0.01) and lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in CC (FA value of rostrum/genu: 0.7±0.09 versus 0.79±0.07; p<0.01; FA value of CC body: 0.74±0.13 versus 0.82±0.09; p=0.03). We found a significant correlation between DTVP-3 scores, CC size, and FA values in rostrum and body. This correlation was unrelated to retinopathy of prematurity. Conclusions. Visual perceptive dysfunction in ex-preterm children without major sequelae of prematurity depends on more subtle changes in the brain microstructure, including CC. Role of interhemispheric connections in visual perception might be more complex than previously anticipated

Effect of acute sprint exercise on myokines and food intake hormones in young healthy men

Physical exercise is known to influence hormonal mediators of appetite, but the effect of short-term maximal intensity exercise on plasma levels of appetite hormones and cytokines has been little studied. We investigated the effect of a 30 s Wingate Test, followed by a postprandial period, on appetite sensations, food intake, and appetite hormones. Twenty-six physically active young males rated their subjective feelings of hunger, prospective food consumption, and fatigue on visual analogue scales at baseline, after exercise was completed, and during the postprandial period. Blood samples were obtained for the measurement of nesfatin-1, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), human growth factor (hGH) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), irisin and plasma lactate concentrations, at 30 min before exercise, immediately (210 s) after exercise, and 30 min following a meal and at corresponding times in control sedentary males without ad libitum meal intake, respectively. Appetite perceptions and food intake were decreased in response to exercise. Plasma levels of irisin, IL-6, lactate, nesfatin-1 and ghrelin was increased after exercise and then it was returned to postprandial/control period in both groups. A significant rise in plasma insulin, hGH and PP levels after exercise was observed while meal intake potentiated this response. In conclusion, an acute short-term fatiguing exercise can transiently suppress hunger sensations and food intake in humans. We postulate that this physiological response involves exercise-induced alterations in plasma hormones and the release of myokines such as irisin and IL-6, and supports the notion of existence of the skeletal muscle-brain-gut axis. Nevertheless, the detailed relationship between acute exercise releasing myokines, appetite sensations and impairment of this axis leading to several diseases should be further examined

A panel in GARCH analysis of stock return volatility in an emerging market: a case study of Egypt

The modelling of stock market volatility is considered to be important for practitioners and academics in finance due to its use in forecasting aspects of future returns. The GARCH class models have now firmly established themselves as one of the foremost techniques for modelling volatility in financial markets. The application of GARCH class models in developed and emerging markets (including the Egyptian Stock Market) provides evidence of GARCH effects in stock returns. However, most of the studies conducted on modelling the volatility of stock returns are based on the aggregated market index. This thesis argues that this will not reflect significant differences of variation in the pattern of volatility associated with different stocks. However, in order to examine the similarities and differences between the conditional variance structures of stocks from the same or different industries in the same equity market, this thesis estimates pooled-panel models. These novel models are used to test for similarities and differences in the conditional variance equation in panels of time series within a general to specific framework of nested tests. This is done using panel samples of sector indices and stocks from the Egyptian Stock Market covering the period from 1997 to 2002. The results suggest that there are similarities in the temporal volatility structures of stocks from the same sector or industry, but there are significant differences in the temporal volatility structures of stocks from different sectors or industries. This suggests that using indices alone for modelling the volatility of an equity market, which is the method used in the majority of studies cited in the literature, may not be appropriate. The thesis concludes with a discussion of some of the implications of these results and suggestions for further research

Relationship between Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Frontoinsular Gray Matter and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Very Low Birth Weight Children at the Age of 4 - Fig 2

<p>Brain 1H-MRS, PRESS technique, frFSET2 sequence, axial plane: voxel localized in the right (A) and left (B) frontal lobe white matter.</p