Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental disorder consisting of persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities.1 Some individuals with ASD learn to use certain behaviors and strategies to minimize or conceal their symptoms so they can be perceived as neurotypical. The term “masking” (also referred to as “camouflaging”) is used to describe these coping strategies.1-5 Masking may offer certain benefits to people with ASD, but it also can lead to delayed diagnosis or treatment, and may nega ..read more

Placental pathology is associated with reductions in postnatal cortical gray matter, cerebellar, and total brain volumes in neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD), according to study results published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers conducted a single-center, prospective, observational study to expound upon the placenta-heart-brain axis and identify possible early biomarkers for adverse neurodevelopment in neonates with CHD. The study involved neonates requiring cardiac surgery or cardiac catheterization within 6 months of life who were patients at Wilhelmin ..read more

Older patients with traumatic blunt head injuries are at high risk for sustaining serious intracranial injury, even with low-risk mechanisms of injury, such as ground-level falls, according to study results published in Annals of Emergency Medicine. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are prevalent among older patients with trauma with this population accounting for 45%-58% of hospitalizations for TBI. TBI has a clear clinical impact in older patients, but there is limited data on its clinical effects. Researchers conducted a secondary analysis between April 2006 and December 2015 to explore the c ..read more

HealthDay News — Medication therapy remains an important treatment for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a review published online March 25 in Pediatrics. Bradley S. Peterson, M.D., from the Institute for the Developing Mind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify effective treatment of ADHD. Based on 312 included studies, treatments were classified as medication, psychosocial interventions, parent support, nutrition and supplements, neurofeedback, neurostimulation, physical exercise, comp ..read more

HealthDay News — Nearly six in 10 stroke survivors experience depression up to 18 years after stroke, according to a study published online March 25 in The Lancet Regional Health: Europe. Lu Liu, from King’s College London, and colleagues examined the prevalence, incidence, duration, and recurrence rates of depression up to 18 years after stroke. The analysis included 3,864 patients identified from the South London Stroke Register (1995 to 2019). The researchers found that prevalence of poststroke depression (PSD) ranged from 31.3 to 41.5 percent. The cumulative incidence of depression was 59 ..read more

Treatment with lumateperone significantly reduced depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), according to results from a phase 3 study. Study 501 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04985942) that evaluated the efficacy and safety of lumateperone as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in 485 patients with MDD. Study participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive lumateperone 42mg or placebo once daily. At baseline, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total scores were 30.4 for the lumate ..read more

Treatment with tirzepatide led to an improvement in sleep apnea symptoms in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity, according to results from the SURMOUNT-OSA trial. Tirzepatide is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. It is the active ingredient in 2 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications, Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for chronic weight management. The double-blind, phase 3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05412004) included 2 groups of patients, those who were ..read more

The Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the Biologics License Application for GSK’s 5-in-1 meningococcal ABCWY (MenABCWY) vaccine candidate. The MenABCWY vaccine combines the antigenic components of Bexsero (meningococcal Group B vaccine) and Menveo (meningococcal Groups A, C, Y, and W-135 oligosaccharide diphtheria CRM197 conjugate vaccine), reducing the number of injections to simplify immunization against invasive meningococcal disease.  The application is supported by data from a phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04502693) in which study participants re ..read more

Among individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), initiating ADHD medication significantly decreases the risk for all-cause and unnatural-cause mortality, according to study findings published in JAMA. However, ADHD medications do not decrease natural-cause mortality risk. It is widely established that ADHD is associated with physical and psychiatric comorbidities that increase the risk for adverse health outcomes, including premature mortality. However, it is unclear whether ADHD medication is protective or contributes to this mortality risk. To this aim, researchers exa ..read more

ALZ-801 (valiltramiprosate) is a potentially safer and more tolerable alternative to anti-amyloid antibodies in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) who are apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) carriers, according to study results presented at the 2024 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD) and related neurological disorders, held from March 5 to 9, 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal. Researchers conducted an ongoing phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study (APOLLOE4; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04770220) to evaluate the cognitive, functional, and volumet ..read more