OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the executive function deficit and the lack of theory of mind in children with autistic disorder. METHODS: Forty children, aged between 11 and 15, were involved in this study: 14 autistic disordered, 12 non-autistic mentally retarded(psychiatric control), and 14 normal children(normal control). In addition to the "Sally-Ann" task to test theory of mind, three other neuropsychological tests were administered individually to assess executive function in all subjects. RESULTS: Significant group differences were found on the executive function and the theory of mind tests. Those deficits were more widespread in the autistic group than in the non-autistic mentally retarded group. The autistic group was impaired on the test requiring inhibition of prepotent responses compared to the two control groups. Both of the autistic and the non-autistic mentally retarded groups exhibited difficulties in predicting other's behavior based on their understanding of other's mental states. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that executive function and theory of mind deficits coexist in children with autistic disorder. This co-occurrence of deficits suggests the possibility that prefrontal cortex may be the neurological region responsible for causing autistic disorder.
Autistic Disorder* ; Child ; Executive Function* ; Humans ; Mentally Disabled Persons ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Theory of Mind

OBJECTIVES: Because the caudate nucleus receives inputs from the dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, it is the area of the interest with ADHD patients in many researches. To identify the lack of normal asymmetry in the frontal lobe and caudate nucleus of the subjects with ADHD, one slice of brain MR images for each subjects were selected, and planimetric method was applied and analyzed. METHODS: The brain MR images of 14 ADHD boys who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria and 16 headache control group were collected. Single best view far the head of the caudate nucleus, one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with Brainimage Pascal 2.3.3.1 software. Pixel counting and area measurements were done. Interrater reliabilities were 0.89 or greater. RESULTS: In both ADHD and control groups, right caudate area was slightly greater than left side, and this difference were more significant in control group. The results showed that the normal asymmetry of frontal lobe and the caudate nucleus was not observed for the ADHD group. CONCLUSION: The normal asymmetry of the frontal lobe and the caudate nucleus was not seen in boys with ADHD
Brain ; Caudate Nucleus* ; Frontal Lobe* ; Head ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to evaluate the effects of Sil-Select and Percoll in sperm preparation. METHODS: Semen samples of 22 patients with normal sperm parameters by WHO criteria were divided into two equal parts and prepared with Percoll and Sil-Select. After completion of semen preparation procedures with Percoll and Sil-Select, sperm concentration, motility and morphology using strict criteria were evaluated in each group and all semen samples were fixed and stained for transmission electron microscopy(TEM). RESULTS: There were no significant diffrences in sperm concentration, percentage of motile spermatozoa and percentage of normal spermatozoa in morphology evaluation using strict criteria under light microscopy between Percoll and Sil-Select-treated groups. However, the percentage of normal shape and position of acrosome, and normal helix assembly of mitochondria under TEM were significantly higher in the Sil-Select-treated group compared to Percoll-treated group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that Sil-Select is less detrimental to the acrosome and mitochondria of spermatozoa in sperm preparation compared to Percoll.
Acrosome ; Humans ; Male ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Mitochondria ; Semen ; Spermatozoa*