It is hypothesized that novel neuropeptides such as phoenixin (PNX), spexin (SPX), and kisspeptin (KISS) are involved in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. The study presented here analyzed neur...

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle to access high-quality health care due to the shortage of trained providers. ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Autism is a unique educational program that allows ASD experts to provide knowledge and skills to professionals in local communities to deliver evidence-based care to children with ASD and their families. The model teaches clinicians how to screen and diagnose ASD, as well as manage common co-occurring medical and mental health issues. ECHO Autism is particularly useful for addressing the complex needs of children with ASD and reducing disparities often present in rural and underserved communities. The model can be disseminated globally due to its flexibility in accommodating local and regional differences in social norms and constructs. This article provides an overview of the format of the ECHO Autism model, data supporting the model’s efficacy, and discusses future research directions.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a widespread, metabo-psychiatric disorder with high relapse rates, comorbidity, and mortality. Many regulatory proteins and neurohormones studied to date play essential roles in the etiopathogenesis of eating disorders and the maintenance of psychopathological symptoms. Nevertheless, the regulatory and pathophysiological mechanisms of AN are still poorly understood. In the presented study, the plasma levels of apelin-13 (APE-13) and asprosin (ASP), as well as carbohydrate metabolism parameters and psychometric parameters, were evaluated in low-weight adolescent female patients with AN (AN1), after partial weight normalization (AN2) and in an age-matched healthy control group (CG) were evaluated. APE-13 levels were higher in the AN1 group than in the post-realimentation and the CG group. APE-13 levels were independent of insulin and glucose levels. Plasma ASP levels increased with increasing body weight in patients with AN, correlating with the severity of eating disorder symptoms in emaciation. The presented data suggest that APE-13 and ASP may be AN’s biomarkers-regulation of eating behavior by APE-13 and ASP, the close relationship between them and emotional behavior, and changes in neurohormone levels in patients with eating and affective disorders seem to support these hypotheses. Moreover, their plasma levels seem to be related to the severity of psychopathological symptoms of eating disorders.

Cel: Ocena częstości występowania zaburzeń ciągłości snu u kobiet w okresie przekwitania, ocena zależności pomiędzy występowaniem zaburzeń ciągłości snu a stopniem nasilenia zespołu klimakterycznego i występowaniem poszczególnych objawów zespołu klimakterycznego, jak również ocena zależności pomiędzy występowaniem problemów ze snem a stężeniem gonadotropin, prolaktyny i hormonów płciowych w surowicy.Metoda: Zbadanych zostało 140 kobiet (średni wiek 54,4 ± 4,7 lat), które kolejno zgłosiły się do Kliniki Endokrynologii Ginekologicznej z powodu objawów zespołu klimakterycznego. Do oceny typu i nasilenia zaburzeń ciągłości snu użyto pytań o jakość snu ze Skali Depresji Hamiltona. Nasilenie objawów zespołu klimakterycznego oceniano przy użyciu indeksu Kuppermana. U wszystkich badanych oznaczono stężenia hormonów: follikulotropiny (FSH), lutropiny (LH), 17β-estradiolu, prolaktyny (PRL), testosteronu całkowitego, siarczanu dehydroepiandrosteronu (DHEAS) oraz globuliny wiążącej hormony płciowe (SHBG).Wyniki: Skargi na zaburzony sen były częste w zbadanej grupie kobiet. Zaburzenia zasypiania zgłosiło 57,8% kobiet, zaburzenia utrzymania snu 70% kobiet, zbyt wczesne wybudzenie poranne 60,7% kobiet. Nasilenie wszystkich trzech typów zaburzeń ciągłości snu powiązane było z nasileniem objawów zespołu klimakterycznego mierzonych indeksem Kuppermana (współczynniki korelacji Spearmana odpowiednio r=0,63, r=0,61, r=0,52). Zaburzenia utrzymania snu negatywnie korelowały ze stężeniem FSH, 17β-estradiolu oraz SHBG w surowicy krwi. Zaburzenia zasypiania negatywnie korelowały ze stężeniem 17β-estradiolu w surowicy krwi.Wnioski: Zaburzenia ciągłości snu są częstym i istotnym problemem zdrowotnym u kobiet w okresie przekwitania. Interwencje mające na celu zmniejszenie nasilenia zespołu klimakterycznego powinny być traktowane jako ważna część leczenia problemów ze snem u kobiet w tym okresie życia.

Background. The use of easily accessible biomarkers for assessing young patients’ health is weighty. This cohort study is aimed at measuring stress/immune biomarkers in the saliva of healthy school‐age children and comparing subgroups according to age, sex, and stress perception. Material and Methods. 503 children under 12 years old (8.7 ± 1.3) were included with anthropometric evaluation (height, waist, hip circumference, body weight, and body mass index (BMI)). Levels of opiorphin (OPI), free cortisol, alpha‐amylase (sAA), and secreted immunoglobulin (sIgA) were determined by quantitative assays (ELISA) in unstimulated saliva. Unpaired t‐test, Welch test, and Mann–Whitney U test were applied for appropriate group comparisons, and the correlation between variables was analyzed with Spearman’s rank coefficient. Results were considered significant at p < 0.05. Results. sIgA and sAA exhibited significant differences depending on age and sex: IgA (ng/mL): 86 ± 68.6 vs. 104.9 ± 72.1 for (6‐7 y.o.) and (8‐11 y.o.), respectively, and 108.1 ± 80.1 vs. 94.6 ± 62.2 for male and females, respectively; sAA (U/mL): 78.9 ± 54.4 vs. 100.5 ± 81.2 for (6‐7 y.o.) and (8‐11 y.o.). No difference related to age or sex between groups was observed for cortisol and OPI. However, OPI levels were higher and correlated to prior stress exposure in children (0.31 ± 0.4 vs. 0.26 ± 0.5 ng/mL, p = 0.031). sAA was negatively correlated to low mood self‐declaration in children in the last two weeks (r = −0.10, p = 0.045). Conclusions. sIgA and sAA can be used as sex‐ and age‐related biomarkers in children 6‐12 y.o., which is not the case for free cortisol and opiorphin. However, OPI reflected previous exposure to stress, suggesting its use for evaluating stress‐related changes in children

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psycho-metabolic disorder with a high risk of somatic complications such as refeeding syndrome (RFS) and carries the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses. To date, the consensus on the care for patients with AN has been based on recommendations for a combination of alimentation and psychotherapy. It is important to establish an initial caloric intake that will provide weight gain and minimize the risk of complications in the treatment of undernourished patients. Research over the past few years suggests that current treatment recommendations may be too stringent and should be updated. The aim of this paper is to systematize the current reports on nutritional rehabilitation in AN, to present the results of studies on the safe supplementation of patients and its potential impact on improving prognosis and the healing process. This review of literature, from 2011–2021, describes the changing trend in the nutritional protocols used and the research on their efficacy, safety, and long-term effects. In addition, it presents previous reports on the potential benefits of introducing vitamin, pro-and prebiotic and fatty acid supplementation.