Intervention de groupe auprès d’enfants présentant des comportements sexuels problématiques : évolution comportementale, affective et sociale

L’objectif de cette étude exploratoire vise à évaluer la participation et l’évolution de 43 enfants présentant des comportements sexuels problématiques ayant participé à un programme d’intervention de groupe. L’évolution des enfants est évaluée à l’aide d’instruments standardisés, administrés avant et après l’intervention de groupe, mesurant diverses dimensions, notamment les comportements sexuels, les problèmes de comportement intériorisés et extériorisés, les habiletés sociales, etc. Les résultats révèlent que dans l’ensemble, toutes variables confondues, les enfants s’améliorent entre le début et la fin de l’intervention de groupe. Plus spécifiquement, les analyses de variance à mesures répétées montrent des améliorations significatives au niveau des comportements sexuels problématiques, des comportements intériorisés et des habiletés sociales. Cette étude suggère que l’intervention de groupe peut s’avérer une modalité d’intervention pouvant répondre aux besoins spécifiques de ces enfants.The purpose of this research is to examine the evolution of children with problematic sexual behaviour following their participation in a group treatment program. The sample was made up of 43 children (33 boys and 10 girls) with an average age of 9 years, 7 months (SD = 1.85) The evolution of the children is measured administering behavioural rating instruments, both before and after the treatment program, on multiple dimensions of problematic sexual behaviour, externalizing and internalizing problems and social skills. The actual level of the children’s participation is documented. The results indicate improvement for a significant portion of the children treated, particularly for those with problematic sexual behaviour, internalizing problems and social skills. This study highlights that treatment group might be a relevant choice of treatment modality.El objetivo de este estudio exploratorio es evaluar la participación y evolución de 43 niños que presentan comportamientos sexuales problemáticos y que participaron en un programa de intervención de grupo. La evolución de los niños se evalúa con ayuda de instrumentos estandarizados, administrados antes y después de la intervención de grupo, que miden diversas dimensiones, específicamente los comportamientos sexuales, los problemas de comportamientos interiorizados y exteriorizados, las habilidades sociales, etc. Los resultados revelan que en conjunto, todas las variables reunidas, los niños se mejoran entre el principio y el fin de la intervención de grupo. Más específicamente, los análisis de variación de medidas repetidas muestran mejoras significativas a nivel de los comportamientos sexuales problemáticos, los comportamientos interiorizados y las habilidades sociales. Este estudio sugiere que la intervención de grupo puede considerarse como una modalidad de intervención que puede responder a las necesidades específicas de estos niños.O objetivo deste estudo exploratório é avaliar a participação e a evolução de 43 crianças, que apresentam comportamentos sexuais problemáticos, que participaram de um programa de intervenção em grupo. A evolução das crianças é avaliada com a ajuda de instrumentos padronizados, administrados antes e após a intervenção em grupo, medindo várias dimensões, principalmente os comportamentos sexuais, os problemas de comportamento interiorizados e exteriorizados, as habilidades sociais, etc. Os resultados revelam que, no geral, sem especificar as variáveis, as crianças demonstram melhoria entre o início e o fim da intervenção em grupo. Mais especificamente, as análises de variação das medidas repetidas mostram melhorias significativas ao nível dos comportamentos sexuais problemáticos, comportamentos interiorizados e habilidades sociais. Este estudo sugere que a intervenção em grupo pode ser uma modalidade de intervenção capaz de responder às necessidades específicas destas crianças

Personality profiles in youth with DBD

Abstract : This registered report is a conceptual replication of the study conducted by Wilson et al. (2019) which showed that distinct latent personality profiles in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders differed on key functioning variables. The present study included 206 adolescents (M = 17.25; SD = 0.95) with borderline clinical or clinical scores for oppositional deviant disorder or conduct disorder. Latent profile analyses using parent- and adolescent-reported Big Five domains revealed two- and three-profile solutions, respectively. When controlling for sex, results from the manual BCH method for auxiliary variables showed that profile membership is associated with different clinically relevant outcomes, such as comorbid psychological disorders, risky sexual behavior, and attachment to parents and friends

Linking low docosahexaenoic acid intake to Alzheimer's disease : caution recommended

Prospective cohort studies and animal models support the concept that low docosahexaenoic acid intake is implicated in the etiology or progression of Alzheimer’s disease. However, other studies crucial to this relationship are less encouraging. To date, the few trials using docosahexaenoic acid to treat declining cognition in the elderly have either been very small or, in the largest trial, the beneficial effect was mild and limited to a sub-group of patients. The supplements used in each of these clinical trials contained at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid other than docosahexaenoic acid, so the active ingredient remains unclear. One widely cited study reported markedly lower brain docosahexaenoic acid in Alzheimer’s disease but at least five other much less commonly cited reports have not corroborated this effect. There are numerous inconsistencies or confounders in the data and several challenges to overcome before definitively attributing a specific role to docosahexaenoic acid in the protection of cognitive function in the elderl

Plasma response to fish oil in the elderly

Little information is available concerning whether incorporation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids into plasma lipids changes during healthy aging. Elderly (74 ± 4 years old) and young (24 ± 2 years old) adults were given a fish oil supplement for 3 weeks that provided 680 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid and 320 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid, followed by a 2 week wash-out period. Compliance was monitored by spiking the capsules with carbon-13 glucose, the excretion of which was measured in breath CO2. In response to the supplement, plasma docosahexaenoic acid rose 42% more in the elderly but eicosapentaenoic responded similarly in both groups. Despite raising docosahexaenoic acid intake by five to tenfold, the supplement did not raise plasma free docosahexaenoic acid (% or mg/dL) in either group. We conclude that healthy aging is accompanied by subtle but significant changes in DHA incorporation into plasma lipids

Substantially improved pharmacokinetics of recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase by fusion to human serum albumin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human butyrylcholinesterase (huBChE) has been shown to be an effective antidote against multiple LD₅₀of organophosphorus compounds. A prerequisite for such use of huBChE is a prolonged circulatory half-life. This study was undertaken to produce recombinant huBChE fused to human serum albumin (hSA) and characterize the fusion protein.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Secretion level of the fusion protein produced <it>in vitro </it>in BHK cells was ~30 mg/liter. Transgenic mice and goats generated with the fusion constructs expressed in their milk a bioactive protein at concentrations of 0.04–1.1 g/liter. BChE activity gel staining and a size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-HPLC revealed that the fusion protein consisted of predominant dimers and some monomers. The protein was confirmed to have expected molecular mass of ~150 kDa by Western blot. The purified fusion protein produced <it>in vitro </it>was injected intravenously into juvenile pigs for pharmacokinetic study. Analysis of a series of blood samples using the Ellman assay revealed a substantial enhancement of the plasma half-life of the fusion protein (~32 h) when compared with a transgenically produced huBChE preparation containing >70% tetramer (~3 h). <it>In vitro </it>nerve agent binding and inhibition experiments indicated that the fusion protein in the milk of transgenic mice had similar inhibition characteristics compared to human plasma BChE against the nerve agents tested.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both the pharmacokinetic study and the <it>in vitro </it>nerve agent binding and inhibition assay suggested that a fusion protein retaining both properties of huBChE and hSA is produced <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>. The production of the fusion protein in the milk of transgenic goats provided further evidence that sufficient quantities of BChE/hSA can be produced to serve as a cost-effective and reliable source of BChE for prophylaxis and post-exposure treatment.</p

Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Fish Oil Lower Anxiety, Improve Cognitive Functions and Reduce Spontaneous Locomotor Activity in a Non-Human Primate

Omega-3 (ω3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are major components of brain cells membranes. ω3 PUFA-deficient rodents exhibit severe cognitive impairments (learning, memory) that have been linked to alteration of brain glucose utilization or to changes in neurotransmission processes. ω3 PUFA supplementation has been shown to lower anxiety and to improve several cognitive parameters in rodents, while very few data are available in primates. In humans, little is known about the association between anxiety and ω3 fatty acids supplementation and data are divergent about their impact on cognitive functions. Therefore, the development of nutritional studies in non-human primates is needed to disclose whether a long-term supplementation with long-chain ω3 PUFA has an impact on behavioural and cognitive parameters, differently or not from rodents. We address the hypothesis that ω3 PUFA supplementation could lower anxiety and improve cognitive performances of the Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus), a nocturnal Malagasy prosimian primate. Adult male mouse lemurs were fed for 5 months on a control diet or on a diet supplemented with long-chain ω3 PUFA (n = 6 per group). Behavioural, cognitive and motor performances were measured using an open field test to evaluate anxiety, a circular platform test to evaluate reference spatial memory, a spontaneous locomotor activity monitoring and a sensory-motor test. ω3-supplemented animals exhibited lower anxiety level compared to control animals, what was accompanied by better performances in a reference spatial memory task (80% of successful trials vs 35% in controls, p<0.05), while the spontaneous locomotor activity was reduced by 31% in ω3-supplemented animals (p<0.001), a parameter that can be linked with lowered anxiety. The long-term dietary ω3 PUFA supplementation positively impacts on anxiety and cognitive performances in the adult mouse lemur. The supplementation of human food with ω3 fatty acids may represent a valuable dietary strategy to improve behavioural and cognitive functions

Émergence des comportements sexuels problématiques chez les enfants : éléments de compréhension

Cet article propose une description de la problématique des enfants présentant des comportements sexuels inappropriés. La première partie présente la sexualité des enfants sous l’angle des stades de développement sexuel et de critères cliniques et développementaux permettant de distinguer l’exploration sexuelle saine des comportements sexuels problématiques. La seconde partie est consacrée à l’examen de diverses classifications des comportements sexuels problématiques qui permettent de situer les comportements sexuels d’un enfant de part et d’autre d’un continuum allant de l’exploration sexuelle à l’agression. La troisième et dernière partie traite des facteurs de risque expliquant l’émergence des comportements sexuels problématiques chez les enfants. En conclusion, l’article identifie les limites des connaissances actuelles relativement à la compréhension des manifestations sexuelles chez les enfants et propose quelques pistes nouvelles de recherche.This article proposes a description of children who present sexually problematic behaviour. Normal sexual development as well as the different clinical and developmental criteria distinguishing normal from problematic sexual behaviour are summarized. Following this review, the different classifications of children with sexually problematic behaviour that can help assess the nature of the sexual behaviours are discussed. A synthesis of the risk factors that have been used to explain children's sexual misconduct is then offered. Finally, this article underlines the limits of our present knowledge in relation to the various manifestations of sexual behaviour and the authors conclude on new directions in research

Unresolved issues in the link between docosahexaenoic acid and Alzheimer's disease

International audienc

Cross-reactivity to cephalosporins and carbapenems in penicillin-allergic patients : two systematic reviews and meta-analyses

BACKGROUND: There is no recent systematic review on therisk of cross-reactivity to cephalosporins and carbapenems inpenicillin-allergic patients despite many new studies on thesubject. All past reviews have several limitations such as notincluding any patient with a T-cellemediated penicillin allergy.OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of cross-reactivity tocephalosporins and carbapenems in patients with a proven IgE-or T-cellemediated penicillin allergy. To measure the associa-tion between R1 side chain similarity on cephalosporins andpenicillins and the risk of cross-reactivity.METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched fromJanuary 1980 to March 2019. Studies had to include at least 10penicillin-allergic subjects whose allergy had been confirmed bya positive skin test (ST) or drug provocation test (DPT) result.Cross-reactivity had to be assessed to at least 1 cephalosporin orcarbapenem through ST or DPT. Both random-effects andfixed-effect models were used to combine data. A bioinformaticmodel was used to quantify the similarity between R1 sidechains.RESULTS: Twenty-one observational studies on cephalosporincross-reactivity involving 1269 penicillin-allergic patientsshowed that the risk of cross-reactivity varied with the degree ofsimilarity between R1 side chains: 16.45% (95% CI, 11.07-23.75) for aminocephalosporins, which share an identical sidechain with a penicillin (similarity score[1), 5.60% (95% CI,3.46-8.95) for a few cephalosporins with an intermediate simi-larity score (range, 0.563-0.714), and 2.11% (95% CI, 0.98-4.46) for all those with low similarity scores (below 0.4), irre-spective of cephalosporin generation. The higher risk associatedwith aminocephalosporins was observed whether penicillin al-lergy was IgE- or T-cellemediated. Eleven observational studieson carbapenem cross-reactivity involving 1127 penicillin-allergicpatients showed that the risk of cross-reactivity to any carba-penem was 0.87% (95% CI, 0.32-2.32). CONCLUSIONS: Although it remains possible that these meta-analyses overestimated the risk of cross-reactivity, cliniciansshould consider the increased risk of cross-reactivity associatedwith aminocephalosporins, and to a lesser extent withintermediate-similarity-score cephalosporins, compared with thevery low risk associated with low-similarity-score cephalosporinsand all carbapenems when using beta-lactams in patients with asuspected or proven penicillin allergy