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We studied the relationship between theophylline and memory/learning using an elevated plus-maze test and measuring spontaneous locomotor activity in developing mice. There were no significant differences in transfer latency (TL) in 21-, 30- and 42-day-old mice in the acquisition trial, but theophylline significantly prolonged TL in comparison with the control group in 21- and 30-day-old mice in the retention trial (n=20; 21-day-old mice, P=0.0009; 30-day-old mice, P=0.03). The dose-dependent stimulant effects of theophylline were shown in spontaneous locomotor activity (n=16; 21-day-old mice, P=0.0005; 30-day-old mice, P=0.0007; 42-day-old mice, P=0.0003) in all groups and in rearing in 21-day-old mice (P=0.02) 1 h after drug administration, but there were no significant effects 24 h after drug administration in all groups. Our study showed that even a therapeutic dose of theophylline impaired memory/learning only in developing mice, and theophylline increased locomotor activity both in developing and adolescent mice. These observations are consistent with several clinical studies, which reported the relationships between theophylline use and memory/learning and learning-related behaviors in children, such as difficulty in studying and hyperactivity. Theophylline possibly induces memory/learning disabilities and hyperactivity in infants and young children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective Several studies have suggested that objective deficits in the processing of abstract information in conjunction with an enhanced ability to process concrete information is a definitive characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, this cognitive imbalance is not necessarily clear in high-functioning autistic individuals who do not display absolute differences relative to typically developing (TD) populations. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify this cognitive tendency in high-functioning autistic individuals using intra-individual cognitive comparisons. Methods The reaction times (RTs) of TD children, children with ASD, and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) (n = 17 in each group, mean age = 11.9 years, age range = 9.8–15.8 years) were compared using the Which/How-to-Apply Tools (W/HAT) test, which consists of tasks requiring the adaptive use of novel tools and familiar tools in atypical and typical situations. Differences in RTs between the atypical and typical trials ([A–T]) were used to assess intra-individual cognitive imbalances. Results As predicted, the [A–T] scores of the ASD group were significantly higher than those of the TD group even though the RTs in the atypical and typical trials did not differ. Additionally, the [A–T] values were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the AD/HD group, which indicates that the cognitive imbalance was specific to ASD individuals. No significant interaction was detected between the trial and subject group. Conclusions The findings of this study demonstrate that a cognitive imbalance in ASD individuals may enhance the current understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder, which is found in a range of individuals, including those with obvious cortical dysfunction to those with only intra-individual imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and aquaporin-4 have been extensively analyzed as targets for humoral immune reactions in central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating diseases, and the results indicated a possible role of these antibodies in the pathogenesis of various demyelinating diseases. Objective To investigate the antibody titer levels against myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and aquaporin-4 in pediatric patients with inflammatory CNS disorders, and to evaluate clinical significance to study anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies. Methods Sera at onset from patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in 7, optic neuritis (ON) in 5, pediatric MS in 4 and neuromyelitis optica in one were tested for myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and aquaporin-4 antibodies using cell-based assays with live transfected cells. The duration of the observation periods ranged from 1 to 21 years (median, 10 years). We also described clinical course of patients with positive anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies. Results Among 17 patients diagnosed with inflammatory CNS demyelinating diseases nine (52%) were positive to anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies. Of note, all cases with positive anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies showed seronegativity against anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies and had a favorable prognosis. Conclusions This preliminary report showed that anti-myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies testing at onset could be a useful tool predicting clinical outcome of children with ADEM, ON, and MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]