Hypericum sp.: essential oil composition and biological activities

Phytochemical composition of Hypericum genus has been investigated for many years. In the recent past, studies on the essential oils (EO) of this genus have been progressing and many of them have reported interesting biological activities. Variations in the EO composition of Hypericum species influenced by seasonal variation, geographic distribution, phenological cycle and type of the organ in which EO are produced and/or accumulated have also been reported. Although many reviews attributed to the characterization as well as biological activities of H. perforatum crude extracts have been published, no review has been published on the EO composition and biological activities of Hypericum species until recently (Crockett in Nat Prod Commun 5(9):1493–1506, 2010; Bertoli et al. in Global Sci Books 5:29–47, 2011). In this article, we summarize and update information regarding the composition and biological activities of Hypericum species EO. Based on experimental work carried out in our laboratory we also mention possible biotechnology approaches envisaging EO improvement of some species of the genus.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - project PTDC/AGR AAM/70418/2006, SFRH/BD/ 13283/2003

The relationship between childhood traumas, dissociation, and impulsivity in patients with borderline personality disorder comorbid with ADHD

Objective: Previous studies reported that there were significant associations between Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this study, we aimed to examine complex relationship between childhood trauma, impulsivity, dissociative symptoms, and the impact of ADHD on this relationship in a sample of patients with BPD. Methods: Our samples consisted of 165 BPD patients (128 female, 37 male) and 165 healthy subjects (128 female, 37 male) of similar age and gender. We administered the semi-structured socio-demographic data form, Adult Self-Report Scale, Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and Dissociation Questionnaire. Results: The BPD group exhibited greater ADHD symptoms, impulsivity, childhood trauma, and dissociation compared to the healthy group. A statistically significant association was found between adult ADHD symptoms and impulsivity, childhood trauma, and dissociation scores. The logistic regression analysis indicated that gender, attentional and motor impulsiveness were the predictors of ADHD in BPD patients. Among these, gender and emotional neglect were the predictors of dissociation in BPD patients. Conclusion: Our results suggested a strong association between impulsivity, childhood trauma, dissociation, and ADHD symptoms in patients with BPD. The findings are mostly consistent with the literature. Clinicians should be aware of these symptoms among these populations to develop treatment strategies

Psychiatric Morbidity and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis

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A nationwide study of social-emotional problems in young children in Turkey

PubMed ID: 23347970We aimed to assess the prevalence of social-emotional problems of Turkish children in early childhood and to understand their association with various bio-psycho-social risk factors, in order to establish guidelines in planning training programs for parents and professionals. Data from a representative sample of 1507 boys (54.3%) and 1268 girls (45.7%) aged 10-48 months were collected. The primary caregivers (mothers = 91.4%) completed the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and a form designed to gather information about various bio-psycho-social risk factors. Based on the caregiver terms, a total of 1626 children (60.1%) were reported to experience social-emotional problems. However, based on the BITSEA-problem clinical (1.5 SD) cut-off scores, 9.3% (9.1% of boys; 9.5% of girls) of all children were found to experience social-emotional problems. The variables, that showed a significant association with BITSEA-problem scores in pairwise comparisons, were entered in logistic regression analysis to determine the variables that predict the group with scores of above clinical cut-point. Higher total score of BSI of the primary caregiver, being separated from the mother for more than a month, and lower income of the family were found to be significant predictors of social-emotional problems. Caregiver reports highlight that maternal variables of mothers' psychological well-being, education and access to sources of support are closely related to the social-emotional wellbeing of their off-spring. The findings obtained from this study may be used for detection of prioritized domains in terms of management of preventive mental health services. © 2012 Elsevier Inc

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and Continuous Performance Test in Preschoolers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective The aim of this study is to examine performance-based measures and behavioral ratings of executive functions (EF) as a component of preschool attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods Twenty-one 4-to-6-year-old children with ADHD and 52 children with no psychopathology, matched on age, gender, socioeconomic status, and parental education, were enrolled. Parents were interviewed with the use of The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime version. The Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) was administered to the children, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version (BRIEF-P) and the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised/Short Form (CPRS-R/S) were filled out by the parents. Results All BRIEF-P and CPRS-R/S scores, the K-CPT measures of inattention and impulsivity were higher in the ADHD group. The CPRS-R/S ADHD index was strongly correlated with inhibition and related indexes in the BRIEF-P and was moderately correlated with inattention measures in the K-CPT. Conclusion The current study is one of the few to investigate the features of preschool ADHD with the use of behavioral ratings of EF and a performance-based measure. Our results suggest that the BRIEF-P was able to identify behavioral difficulties in inhibition and working memory and that the K-CPT identified difficulties indicating inattention. The findings of this study support the use of a combination of methods for a complete evaluation of preschoolers with inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior, the application of rating scales for screening ADHD symptoms, and the measurement of behavioral correlates of EF, along with performance-based measures.PubMedWoSScopu