Objectives. The study aimed to explore the cognitive, behavioral, and potential epigenetic effects of martial arts-based interventions in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Materials and methods. A narrative review was conducted, synthesizing findings from eleven peer-reviewed studies examining martial arts practices — such as taekwondo, judo, karate, kung fu, qigong, and tai chi — in populations diagnosed with ADHD. The focus was placed on executive functions, emotional regulation, and neurobiological mechanisms. Additional literature on physical activity and epigenetic regulation was reviewed to contextualize emerging biological hypotheses. Results. The findings indicate that martial arts interventions were associated with improvements in attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, particularly in structured disciplines such as judo and taekwondo. Some studies have also reported emotional and behavioral benefits, including reduced impulsivity and improved self-regulation. Although direct epigenetic evidence is lacking, indirect data suggest that physical activity may influence gene expression via mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. Conclusions. Martial arts may support cognitive and behavioral development in individuals with ADHD. Their structured, multimodal nature positions these training practices as promising tools to promote attention and executive functioning. Further research is encouraged to include longitudinal epigenetic profiling to clarify underlying biological mechanisms.

Background: Violent TV series and streaming content are increasingly accessible to children, raising concerns about behavioral imitation and psychological effects. This study examined copycat behaviors and associated emotional and somatic symptoms among children who reported watching the age-restricted series Squid Game. Methods: In this observational study of 228 Italian primary school children (aged 8–11), 128 who had watched Squid Game formed the analytic sample. They were categorized into a Copycat Behavior (CB) group or a Non-Copycat Behavior (NCB) group based on self-reported imitation of scenes or games from the series. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Group differences were assessed using Mann–Whitney U tests, and gender distribution was compared with Chi-square tests (α = 0.05). Results: Among viewers, 42 children (32%) engaged in imitation behaviors, typically reenacting game-based violent scenes with friends (52%), siblings (28%), or classmates (20%). Age and gender distributions did not differ between groups. The CB group scored slightly higher on the CBCL Somatic Complaints scale compared with the NCB group (M = 54.12 vs. 52.92; U = 1414.5, p = 0.033), although this difference was small. No significant differences emerged on other CBCL syndrome or broadband scales. Conclusions: Among children engaging in copycat behaviors exhibited a small, subclinical increase in somatic complaints. While causality cannot be inferred, the findings highlight the need to protect vulnerable children—particularly those prone to somatic distress—from unsupervised access to violent, age-inappropriate content. Media literacy for parents and educators, and longitudinal studies including non-viewers are recommended.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits, restricted/repetitive behaviors, sensory processing atypicalities, and impaired adaptive functioning. Neuropsychomotor Therapy of Early Development (TNPEE) integrates motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains, promoting functional skills, while Therapy in Aquatic Motor Activities (TAMA) targets motor and sensory engagement. This multicenter, 18-month study compared TNPEE, TAMA, and their combination, hypothesizing that TNPEE would drive core symptom and adaptive improvements, with TAMA providing complementary benefits. Methods: Seventy-seven children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (31.6% females) were recruited from four Italian centers (Palermo, Perugia, Sarno, Messina) and allocated to three groups: TAMA only, TNPEE combined with TAMA, and TNPEE only. Assessments included the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Sensory Processing Measure and HAARS at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: By 18 months, children receiving TNPEE, alone or combined with TAMA, exhibited significant reductions in autism severity, significant improvements in adaptive functioning, and enhanced sensory processing. In contrast, the TAMA-only group demonstrated improvements in aquatic competence (HAARS) but no statistically significant changes in ASD severity or adaptive functioning. Conclusions: TNPEE was the intervention most consistently associated with improvements in ASD severity, adaptive functioning, and sensory processing, whereas TAMA alone showed a more limited impact on broader developmental outcomes.

Background: Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) has been hypothesized to be associated with cognitive impairments, particularly in intelligence and working memory. However, the extent and significance of this relationship remain unclear. This meta-analysis aims to systematically examine the association between PNE and cognitive functioning. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, including 10 studies with a total of 9987 participants (primary nocturnal enuresis = 1758; control = 8229). Cognitive performance, particularly intelligence quotient scores, was analyzed using pooled statistical methods to determine potential differences between groups. Results: Children with PNE exhibited a mean intelligence quotient score 2.44 points lower than control participants. However, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.261), and the overall effect size was minimal (t = −1.165). The pooled standard deviation was 13.91, indicating substantial variability across studies. Conclusions: While children with PNE tend to have slightly lower intelligence quotient scores than their peers, the results do not suggest a statistically significant impact on global intelligence. However, the consistent trend observed across studies highlights the need for further research to investigate specific cognitive domains that may be affected by enuresis. Future studies should focus on neurodevelopmental mechanisms and explore potential intervention strategies to address any cognitive vulnerabilities associated with this condition.

Background: Suicide prevention strategies in university settings largely rely on detecting explicit suicidal ideation. However, students experiencing severe psychiatric distress may not endorse suicidal thoughts and therefore remain unidentified by ideation-centered screening models. This study aimed to identify and clinically characterize university students with high depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, and elevated impulsivity who deny suicidal ideation in order to examine whether they represent a vulnerable yet overlooked subgroup. Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis included 814 undergraduate students from the National Sleep Research Resource (ANSWERS dataset). Participants were classified into three groups based on median splits of depressive symptoms (CES-D), sleep quality (PSQI), impulsivity (UPPS-P), and the presence or absence of suicidal ideation in the past three months: Invisible (high symptoms without ideation), Visible (high symptoms with ideation), and Healthy (low symptoms without ideation). Group differences were examined using ANOVA and chi-square tests. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess independent predictors of suicidal ideation. Results: The Invisible group comprised 11.8% of the sample. Compared with Healthy participants, these individuals showed poorer sleep quality and higher levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (all p < 0.001). Cannabis use was most prevalent in the Invisible group (54.2%), exceeding both Visible and Healthy groups (p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, depressive symptoms (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08–1.12) and sleep disturbance (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12) independently predicted suicidal ideation, whereas impulsivity did not. Conclusions: A clinically meaningful subgroup of students experience severe psychological distress without endorsing suicidal ideation yet show behavioral and interpersonal vulnerability. These findings highlight a limitation of ideation-focused screening and support broader, symptom-informed mental health assessment strategies in university populations.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be conceptualized not as a static condition but as a dynamic disorder of developmental regulation, in which neuroplastic potential is translated into functional gains only through structured, experience-dependent therapeutic input. Neuropsychomotor Therapy of Early Development (TNPEE) and Therapy in Aquatic Motor Activities (TAMA) have shown differential efficacy in children with ASD, but whether chronological age moderates the magnitude of therapeutic response—or whether the characteristics of the intervention itself are the stronger determinant of outcome—has not been systematically examined. Methods: This was a non-randomized, exploratory secondary stratified analysis of a multicenter 18-month longitudinal cohort (N = 77 children with ASD, age 4–12 years) allocated to three groups: TAMA only, TNPEE combined with TAMA (TAMA+TNPEE), or TNPEE only. Participants were stratified into a younger (≤6 years, n = 16; TAMA n = 8, TAMA+TNPEE n = 3, TNPEE n = 5) and an older (>6 years, n = 61; TAMA n = 18, TAMA+TNPEE n = 22, TNPEE n = 21) subgroup. Adaptive functioning was assessed with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) at baseline and 18 months. Between-stratum comparisons used the Mann–Whitney U test; Spearman rank correlations and ANCOVA models with Age × Treatment interaction terms were used to test age moderation within a neuroplasticity-recruitment framework. Results: In the TAMA-only group, younger children showed significantly smaller adaptive gains than older children across the Composite (2.22 ± 1.14 vs. 3.53 ± 0.76, p = 0.012), Communication (p = 0.041), and Socialization (p = 0.016) subscales, with significant positive Spearman correlations between age and adaptive gains (r = 0.397–0.437). Simple slope analysis confirmed a significant age effect within the TAMA group (b = 0.231, SE = 0.083, p = 0.010) but not in the TNPEE (b = 0.133, p = 0.157) or TAMA+TNPEE (b = 0.135, p = 0.198) groups. The formal Age × Treatment interaction term in the ANCOVA did not reach statistical significance (all p > 0.18). As this interaction test is the formal statistical test of differential age moderation, the simple-slope pattern above should be regarded as exploratory rather than confirmatory. Treatment group accounted for the large majority of variance in adaptive gains (partial η² = 0.78–0.95), whereas age explained only a small proportion of outcome variability. ASD severity level transitions were comparable across age strata in TNPEE-based groups. Conclusions: In this exploratory secondary analysis, TNPEE-based interventions were associated with adaptive gains that did not differ significantly by age across the 4–12 year age range, whereas aquatic therapy alone showed an age-dependent pattern favoring older children. These findings are hypothesis-generating and consistent with a neuroplasticity-recruitment model in which therapeutic architecture—rather than chronological age alone— may be associated with how effectively latent plastic potential is translated into developmental gains, although the non-significant Age × Treatment interaction and the small, imbalanced subgroups (including n = 3 in the youngest TAMA+TNPEE stratum) mean these findings require confirmation in adequately powered, prospectively designed studies, with implications for clinical decision-making regarding therapy timing and design.