Aims: The current study aimed to validate the relationship between sensory characteristics and sleep dynamics among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using an actigraph, which is an objective assessment device used for sleep monitoring. Methods: A total of 40 children (age range, 3-6 years) participated in this study (n = 20, with ASD and n = 20, age-matched children with typical development [TD]). We examined sleep dynamics using actigraph for 7 consecutive days, and the relationship between sleep parameters and sensory characteristics was analyzed using the Japanese Version of Sensory Profile (SP-J). Results: Significant differences were observed in terms of activities per minute during sleep (p = 0.02), sleep efficiency (SE) (p = 0.005), and wake after sleep onset (WASO) (p = 0.02) between the two groups. In the ASD group, significant positive correlations were observed between activities per minute during sleep and low thresholds for Vestibular Sensory stimuli (p = 0.046) and Oral Sensory stimuli (p = 0.006) using the SP-J. Based on a multiple regression analysis, the activities per minute during sleep were associated with low thresholds for Oral Sensory stimuli (b = 0.51, t = 2.29, p = 0.03), but not with other factors, in the ASD group. Conclusions: The current study showed that atypical Vestibular and Oral Sensory modulation may be a risk indicator for high activities during sleep among preschool children with ASD. Thus, whether the interventions for these sensory characteristics are effective in improving sleep quality, daytime activities, behaviors, and cognitive functions in this group of children must be considered.
To investigate the mechanism of penicillin-induced convulsions, we have studied the effects of penicillin G (PC-G) on GABA-gated chloride ion influx in brain 'microsac' preparations of mice. In the presence of 10(-4) M GABA, PC-G inhibited GABA-gated chloride ion influx in a dose-dependent manner. The dose-response curve for GABA in the presence of 10(-3) M PC-G was shifted rightward and there was a decrease in maximum response. The inhibitory effects of PC-G were not reversed by RO 15-1788, an antagonist of benzodiazepine (BZ) receptors, but were reversed by washing the 'microsac' membranes. Therefore, PC-G probably exerts its proconvulsant effect by inhibiting GABA-gated chloride ion influx. However, it appears not to act through the BZ receptor of the GABA/BZ receptor complex.
To study the roles of eosinophils and catecholamines in the pathophysiology of exercise-induced asthma (EIA), an exercise challenge test was performed in 22 asthmatic children, using a bicycle ergometer, and the changes in lung function, plasma norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels with exercise were evaluated. Subjects were classified into three groups from the results of lung function test, respectively: EIA-negative group. EIA-positive groups with good recovery and poor recovery. Eosinophil counts before exercise in the EIA-positive groups were significantly higher than those in the EIA-negative group. The ECP levels rose with exercise in all groups. Five minutes after exercise, ECP values fell to the pre-exercise level in the EIA-negative group, but rose to higher levels in EIA-positive groups. Plasma E levels rose with exercise and showed 4-fold increase in the EIA-negative group, whereas only 1.5-fold increase of plasma E levels was observed in the EIA-positive group with poor recovery. From these findings, a possible contribution of sympathoadrenal hypofunction and a probable involvement of eosinophils in the pathophysiology of EIA have been suggested.
We measured the GABA-gated chloride ion influx and GABA concentrations in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus of young (5 weeks old) and older (15 weeks old) tremor rats. GABA-gated chloride ion influx in these tremor rats was significantly greater than in the controls of both the 5 week- and 15 week-old groups. GABA concentrations in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the tremor rats increased compared with controls of 5 weeks and decreased compared with controls of 15 weeks. These findings suggest that the GABAergic presynaptic neurons in the cortex and hippocampus of the tremor rat are disturbed with aging. This change may be related to the appearance of absence-like seizures in the rats. The increased GABA-gated chloride ion influx in tremor rats may be a compensatory mechanism against the genetically-determined seizure susceptibility of these rats. Furthermore, the increased GABA levels and GABA-gated chloride ion influx found in 5 week-old tremor rats may be related to the tremor movements.
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