Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and interest. Sleep problems are not uncommon in children with autism spectrum disorders. Symptoms of insomnia are the most frequent sleep problems in individuals with ASD. Sleep problems can cause significant difficulties in the daily life of children with ASD and their families. Genetic factor, deregulations of melatonin synthesis, extraneous environmental stimuli and psychiatric and medical conditions may cause sleep problems. The first line treatment of sleep problems in ASD includes managements for potential contributing factors and parent education about sleep hygiene care for child and behavioral therapy. Supplementation with melatonin may be effective before considering other medications, such as risperidone, clonidine, and mirtazapine.
Autistic Disorder* ; Child ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Clonidine ; Education ; Genetics ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Melatonin ; Parents ; Risperidone ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Alcohol has been used as sedatives historically. The effect of alcohol on sleep is different according to its dose, timing of ingestion, and drinking frequency. Sleep problems may play a role in the development and course of alcohol-related disorders. Insomnia in alcohol-dependent patients is common and early treatment of insomnia may reduce the rate of relapse. Sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limbs movement disorder, and altered circadian rhythm may be more frequent in this patients. Management of sleep and alcohol problems is important in treating alcohol-related disorder and sleep disorders, respectively.
Alcohol-Related Disorders ; Circadian Rhythm ; Drinking ; Eating ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Movement Disorders ; Recurrence ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

INTRODUCTION: Although it is well known that medical students are not getting an adequate amount of sleep, there have been only a few studies on the sleep patterns of medical students and the related factors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the medical students' sleep patterns and the related factors. METHODS: A questionnaire package was administered to the 1st to 4th year medical students at one medical school. It consisted of questions asking about their lifestyles as well as Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), global assessment of recent stress scale (GASS), the center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale (CES-D), and Moudsley obsessive-compulsive inventory (MOCI). A total of 352 students (206 males and 146 females) responded to the survey and the result was analyzed using the independent t-test, the chi-square test, the paired t-test, Pearson's correlation and ANOVA. p-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant in analyses. RESULTS: The weekend bedtime was significantly delayed (0 : 49 on weekday ; 1 : 34 on weekend ; t=-5.23, p<0.001), the weekend rise time was delayed (6 : 58 on weekday ; 9 : 30 on weekend ; t=-24.48, p<0.001) and the total sleep time was increased on weekends (5 : 36 on weekday ; 7 : 39 on weekend ; t=15.94, p<0.001). The PSQI score of all subjects was 6.43+/-2.64. PSQI was positively correlated with ESS (r=0.383, p<0.001), GASS (r=0.326, p<0.001), CES-D (r=0.393, p<0.001), and MOCI (r=0.247, p<0.001), but not with GPA (r=0.072, p=0.228. The more senior students had lower PSQI, GASS, CES-D, and MOCI score (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Medical students were experiencing a lack of sleep during weekdays as they have a later bedtime and earlier rise time, and consequently had more hours of sleep on weekends. Overall, the medical students were experiencing poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation. Poor sleep quality is associated with psychological problems (daytime sleepiness, stress, depression, and obsessive tendency).
Depression ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schools, Medical ; Sleep Deprivation ; Students, Medical*

No abstract available.

Objective: Medication beliefs are a significant determinant of medication adherence in chronic illness. This study aimed to identify demographic, clinical, and medication-related factors associated with medication beliefs in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 173 PD patients who had been taking antiparkinson drugs for more than one year. Results: The subjects who believed PD medication was more necessary had more severe illness, younger age of onset, longer illness duration, and longer duration of levodopa therapy. They had higher levels of non-motor symptoms and depression, number of medication uses, number of drugs, and levodopa equivalent dose, and they reported fluctuation of motor symptoms and dyskinesia. The subjects who used catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, dopamine agonists, amantadine, and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitors had significantly higher necessity scores than those who did not use them. The subjects who had higher concerns about PD medications had higher levels of non-motor symptoms and depression. The subjects using amantadine and anticholinergics had significantly higher concern scores than those who did not use them. Positive necessity-concerns differentials were associated with severe illness, the presence of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia, and the use of COMT inhibitors. Based on stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factors influencing necessity beliefs were severe illness, followed by depression and motor fluctuation. Conclusion Severe illness, higher levels of depression, and motor fluctuation are independent factors influencing patients’ beliefs regarding medication necessity. Therefore, these characteristics should be considered in medication belief assessment and interventions for PD patients.

Objective: Medication beliefs are a significant determinant of medication adherence in chronic illness. This study aimed to identify demographic, clinical, and medication-related factors associated with medication beliefs in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 173 PD patients who had been taking antiparkinson drugs for more than one year. Results: The subjects who believed PD medication was more necessary had more severe illness, younger age of onset, longer illness duration, and longer duration of levodopa therapy. They had higher levels of non-motor symptoms and depression, number of medication uses, number of drugs, and levodopa equivalent dose, and they reported fluctuation of motor symptoms and dyskinesia. The subjects who used catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, dopamine agonists, amantadine, and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitors had significantly higher necessity scores than those who did not use them. The subjects who had higher concerns about PD medications had higher levels of non-motor symptoms and depression. The subjects using amantadine and anticholinergics had significantly higher concern scores than those who did not use them. Positive necessity-concerns differentials were associated with severe illness, the presence of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia, and the use of COMT inhibitors. Based on stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factors influencing necessity beliefs were severe illness, followed by depression and motor fluctuation. Conclusion Severe illness, higher levels of depression, and motor fluctuation are independent factors influencing patients’ beliefs regarding medication necessity. Therefore, these characteristics should be considered in medication belief assessment and interventions for PD patients.

Cancer of the stomach is responsible for approximately 650,000 deaths globally each year and is probably second only to lung cancer worldwide as an overall cause of cancer-related mortality. Similar to the situation with most adenocarcinomas of the gastointestinal tract, carcinomas of the stomach can spread by local extension to adjacent normal structures and can develop lymphatic, peritoneal, and distant metastases. The tumor cells, can also permeate diffusely into the lymphatic plexus of the bowel, more often at the level of the upper duodenum hut sometimes down into the distal ileum and the large bowel. We report a case of lymphatic metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma to the ampulla of Vater with review of the literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Ampulla of Vater* ; Duodenum ; Ileum ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymphatic Metastasis* ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

Purpose: To investigate the genetic characteristics of patients with non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP) analyzed at a single institution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 63 patients clinically diagnosed with non-syndromic RP who underwent genetic testing. The clinical features of patients exhibiting the most common mutations, EYS and USH2A, were further assessed through routine ophthalmic examinations. Results: Of the 63 patients, 22 (34.9%) exhibited significant mutations. Notably, EYS and USH2A mutations were each found in 5 patients (7.9%); RP1 mutations were found in 4 patients (6.3%). The average ages at diagnosis were 38.8 years for EYS mutations and 41.8 years for USH2A mutations. The average best-corrected visual acuities were logMAR 0.08 for EYS mutations and logMAR 0.51 for USH2A mutations. Both mutation types showed a decrease in the normal macular area in fundus photographs with increasing age. In USH2A mutations, optical coherence tomography revealed a more pronounced reduction in central macular thickness and central foveal ellipsoid length compared with EYS mutations. Visual field tests indicated a reduction within the central 10° in 40% of EYS mutations and 60% of USH2A mutations. Electroretinography showed non-detectable responses in 2 individuals with EYS mutations and 4 individuals with USH2A mutations (40% and 80%, respectively). Conclusions EYS and USH2A mutations represented 45% of the genetically identified cases; affected patients typically were diagnosed in their 40s. EYS mutations tended to preserve retinal function and central foveal structure better than USH2A mutations.

Purpose: To investigate the genetic characteristics of patients with non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP) analyzed at a single institution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 63 patients clinically diagnosed with non-syndromic RP who underwent genetic testing. The clinical features of patients exhibiting the most common mutations, EYS and USH2A, were further assessed through routine ophthalmic examinations. Results: Of the 63 patients, 22 (34.9%) exhibited significant mutations. Notably, EYS and USH2A mutations were each found in 5 patients (7.9%); RP1 mutations were found in 4 patients (6.3%). The average ages at diagnosis were 38.8 years for EYS mutations and 41.8 years for USH2A mutations. The average best-corrected visual acuities were logMAR 0.08 for EYS mutations and logMAR 0.51 for USH2A mutations. Both mutation types showed a decrease in the normal macular area in fundus photographs with increasing age. In USH2A mutations, optical coherence tomography revealed a more pronounced reduction in central macular thickness and central foveal ellipsoid length compared with EYS mutations. Visual field tests indicated a reduction within the central 10° in 40% of EYS mutations and 60% of USH2A mutations. Electroretinography showed non-detectable responses in 2 individuals with EYS mutations and 4 individuals with USH2A mutations (40% and 80%, respectively). Conclusions EYS and USH2A mutations represented 45% of the genetically identified cases; affected patients typically were diagnosed in their 40s. EYS mutations tended to preserve retinal function and central foveal structure better than USH2A mutations.

Purpose: To investigate the genetic characteristics of patients with non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP) analyzed at a single institution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 63 patients clinically diagnosed with non-syndromic RP who underwent genetic testing. The clinical features of patients exhibiting the most common mutations, EYS and USH2A, were further assessed through routine ophthalmic examinations. Results: Of the 63 patients, 22 (34.9%) exhibited significant mutations. Notably, EYS and USH2A mutations were each found in 5 patients (7.9%); RP1 mutations were found in 4 patients (6.3%). The average ages at diagnosis were 38.8 years for EYS mutations and 41.8 years for USH2A mutations. The average best-corrected visual acuities were logMAR 0.08 for EYS mutations and logMAR 0.51 for USH2A mutations. Both mutation types showed a decrease in the normal macular area in fundus photographs with increasing age. In USH2A mutations, optical coherence tomography revealed a more pronounced reduction in central macular thickness and central foveal ellipsoid length compared with EYS mutations. Visual field tests indicated a reduction within the central 10° in 40% of EYS mutations and 60% of USH2A mutations. Electroretinography showed non-detectable responses in 2 individuals with EYS mutations and 4 individuals with USH2A mutations (40% and 80%, respectively). Conclusions EYS and USH2A mutations represented 45% of the genetically identified cases; affected patients typically were diagnosed in their 40s. EYS mutations tended to preserve retinal function and central foveal structure better than USH2A mutations.