Esra Demirci

Increased Serum Phthalates (MEHP, DEHP) and Bisphenol A Concentrations in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder The Role of Endocrine Disruptors in Autism Etiopathogenesis

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between autism spectrum disorders development and exposure to mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (MEHP), di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA), 1 of the endocrine disruptors, among phthalates. The study included 48 children with autism spectrum disorder (27 boys, 21 girls) and 41 healthy subjects (24 boys, 17 girls) as controls. Serum MEHP, DEHP, and BPA levels were measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Children with autism spectrum disorder had significantly increased serum MEHP, DEHP, and BPA concentrations (0.47 ± 0.14 µg/ml, 2.70 ± 0.90 µg/ml, 1.25 ± 0.30 ng/ml) compared to healthy control subjects (0.29 ± 0.05 µg/ml, 1.62 ± 0.56 µg/ml, 0.88 ± 0.18 ng/ml) respectively (P = .000). The fact that higher serum MEHP, DEHP, and BPA were found levels in the autism spectrum disorder group compared to healthy controls suggests that endocrine disruptors may have a role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders.

The relationship between aggression, empathy skills and serum oxytocin levels in male children and adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

Although attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are recognized as neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairment in executive functions, impairments in social functioning are often accompanied by ADHD. Oxytocin (OT) has been investigated in a number of psychiatric disorders owing to its effects on social interactions. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between aggression, empathy and OT levels in children with ADHD. Forty male patients with ADHD, ranging in age from 7 to 18 years, and 40 healthy age-matched and sex-matched individuals were included in this study. The patients and healthy controls filled in the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Bryant’s Empathy Index for Children and Adolescents; the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test was then completed. Blood samples were collected for OT at the beginning of the study. Lower serum OT levels were observed in patients with ADHD compared with the healthy controls. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between serum OT level and aggression scores and a positive correlation between the serum OT level and empathy scores in patients with ADHD. We conclude that OT may play a role in aggression and empathy skills, affecting the social life of those with ADHD.

Relationship between Impulsivity and Serum Oxytocin in Male Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: A Preliminary Study

INTRODUCTION Here we aimed to determine the relationship between oxytocin levels and impulsivity, which is an important aspect at Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) clinics. METHODS The study population comprised 40 ADHD patients diagnosed based on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version, without other psychiatric disorders and chronic diseases aged between 8 and 15 years. The control group comprised 40 healthy, age-matched, male children and adolescents who voluntarily participated in the study. Patients and controls filled the Barratt impulsivity scale-11 (BIS-11). Ten cubic centimeters of blood was collected at 8 am for determining serum oxytocin levels. ELISA kits were used to measure serum oxytocin levels in a biochemistry laboratory. The obtained data were evaluated using appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS In this study, compared with the control group, the impulsivity scores were significantly higher and serum oxytocin levels were lower in the ADHD group (52.5±18.1 and 37.62±9.0, respectively, p<0.001). Serum oxytocin levels showed a negative correlation with impulsivity and attention subscale scores of BIS-11 in the ADHD group. CONCLUSION ADHD and impulsivity, which comprise an aspect of ADHD, may be associated with oxytocin. Serum oxytocin levels may contribute to inattention subtypes of impulsivity observed in ADHD.

Internet addiction and attention‐deficit–hyperactivity disorder: Effects of anxiety, depression and self‐esteem

Attention‐deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Behavioral disinhibition, poor neurocognitive skills and immediate reward preference in children with ADHD have been suggested as risk factors for Internet addiction (IA). The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the relationship between IA and depression, anxiety, and self‐esteem in adolescents with ADHD, and to identify the features of Internet use that predict IA.

Female Perpetrated Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia

There are some studies about female sex offenders and in these studies, the differences between male and female sex offenders were defined. Studies have shown that female sex offenders are less selective than male sex offenders about the sex of their victim. Some of these studies have indicated that female sex offenders have a mild preference for male children, while others noted their sample was more likely to offend against female children.5

Evaluation of two types of drug treatment with QEEG in children with ADHD

Abstract Aims The aim of this study is to evalute the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine treatments on electroencephalography (EEG) signals in volunteer children diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). Methods The study contained 40 children all of whom were between the ages of 7 and 17. The participants were classified into two groups as ADHD (n=20), which was in itself divided into two groups as ADHD-MPH (ADHD- Metylphenidate treatment) (n=10) and as ADHD-ATX (ADHD-Atomoxetin treatment) (n=10), and one control group (n=20). Following the first EEG recordings of the ADHD group, long-acting methylphenidate dose was applied to one ADHD group and atomoxetine dose was applied to the other ADHD group. The effect of optimal dosage is about for 4-6 weeks in general. Therefore, the response or lack of response to the treatment was evaluated three months after the beginning of the treatment. After methylphenidate and atomoxetine drug treatment, in order to obtain mean and maximum power values for delta, theta, alpha and beta band, the EEG data were analyzed. Results The EEG power spectrum densities in all the bands yielded similar findings in both methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Although statistically significant frequency values of the electrodes were amplitude and maximally varied, in general, they appeared mostly at both frontal and temporal regions for methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Conclusion Especially, after atomoxetine treatment, Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) rates at frontal area electrodes were found statistically more significant than methylphenidate QEEG rates. What has been researched in this study is not only whether QEEG is likely to support the diagnosis, but whether changes on QEEG by treatment may be related to the severity of ADHD as well.

Investigation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sub-types in Children via EEG Frequency Domain analysis

ABSTRACT Aim of the study: To investigate the frequency domain effects and changes in electroencephalography (EEG) signals in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Patients and methods: The study contains 40 children. All children were between the ages of 7 and 12 years. Participants were classified into four groups which were ADHD (n=20), ADHD-I (ADHD-Inattentive type) (n=10), ADHD-C (ADHD-Combined type) (n=10), and control (n=20) groups. In this study, the frequency domain of EEG signals for ADHD, subtypes and control groups were analyzed and compared using Matlab software. The mean age of the ADHD childrens group was 8.7 years and the control group 9.1 years. Results: Spectral analysis of mean power (μV2) and relative-mean power (%) was carried out for four different frequency bands: delta (0--4 Hz), theta (4--8 Hz), alpha (8--13 Hz) and beta (13--32 Hz). The ADHD and subtypes of ADHD-I, and ADHD-C groups had higher average power value of delta and theta band than that of control group. However, this is not the case for alpha and beta bands. Increases in delta/beta ratio and statistical significance were found only between ADHD-I and control group, and in delta/beta, theta/delta ratio statistical significance values were found to exist between ADHD-C and control group. Conclusion: EEG analyzes can be used as an alternative method when ADHD subgroups are identified.

Prefrontal Brain Activation in Subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

DOI : 10.26650/electrica.2018.99730 According to clinical symptoms, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is categorized into three groups: the predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-I), the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype (ADHD-HI), and the combined subtype (ADHD-C). Recent advances in neuroimaging have demonstrated new approaches for assessing the ADHD subtypes with underlying pathophysiology. This study aims to examine the hemodynamic response and reaction time (RT) in healthy children and the ADHD subtypes as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during an auditory oddball attention task. The sample was made up of 40 children divided into four groups: control group (n=14), ADHD-I group (n=9), ADHD-HI group (n=6), and ADHD-C group (n=11). The target responses were identified and were grand-averaged for each participant. Right prefrontal cortex hemodynamic responses and groups performances on RT were compared between subtypes and between controls and subtypes. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy indicated that while control subjects exhibited higher activation than all ADHD subtypes, the ADHD subtypes did not differ from one another. Relative to control subjects, a longer RT was observed in all ADHD subtypes. The ADHD-I group showed significantly longer RTs compared to the ADHD-HI and ADHD-C groups. This study can bring a new perspective to the continuing controversy about ADHD subtypes, and the findings may help in the evaluation of fNIRS, RT, and RT variability studies in ADHD.

Effects of methylphenidate on reaction time in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Introduction Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with a broad range of neuropsychological impairments that are attenuated with methylphenidate (MPH) treatment. The aim of this study was to determine how MPH effects attentional functioning in terms of reaction time (RT) in ADHD. Methods Eighteen pre-medicated ADHD children (7 to 12 years old) and eighteen gender matched normal controls (7 to 12 years old) were included in the study. Participants performed an auditory attention task and the RT of participants to each target response was calculated automatically. The same test was repeated 3 months after OROS-MPH administration for ADHD group. RT, RT standard deviation (RTSD), and response errors (omission and commission errors) were compared between control and pre-MPH ADHD groups, and between Pre-MPH and post-MPH ADHD groups. Results Relative to control subjects, significantly longer RTs, higher RTSD and more errors of omission were observed in unmedicated ADHD children during auditory attention task. Analyses revealed significant effects of medication across all measures except commission errors. After treatment RTs were faster, RTSD values were lower, and errors of omission were attenuated compared to pre-medication condition in ADHD group. There were no significant differences in terms of commission errors between groups. Conclusion In this study it was observed that MPH reduced RTs to stimuli, attenuated omission errors during the task in ADHD group and after 3 months of treatment ADHD children showed similar patterns in RT as compared to controls. Results suggest that when treating ADHD, it might help clinicians to evaluate objective and non-invasive cognitive outcomes such as RT, RTSD and response errors to evaluate the effects of treatment.

May BPA and phthalates have a role in etiopathogenesis of ADHD

Objective: Although the etiology ofattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown, it is thought that endocrine disruptors may be involved in the etiopathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation-ship between ADHD development and exposure to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phtha-late (DEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA). Methods: The study included 44 children who were diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria and 51 healthy children as controls. In all subjects, serum MEHP, DEHP, and BPA were measured by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Serum MEHP and BPA levels were found to be significantly higher in the ADHD group (0.47±0.22 µg/ml, 1.48±0.28 ng/ml) than the controls (0.31±0.13 µg/ml, 0.91±0.23 ng/ml). There was no difference in the level of DEHP between the ADHD group and healthy controls (2.17±0.69 µg/ml, 2.26±0.56 µg/ml). Conclusion: Our results could be accepted as an evidence to support an association between BPA, MEHPlevels and ADHD. However, further studies are needed to clarify the linkage between ADHD and endocrine disruptors.