SEVERE KWASHIORKOR AND SCURVY SECONDARY TO AVOIDANT/RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDER (ARFID) IN A CHILD WITH PREVIOUSLY UNDIAGNOSED AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: A CASE REPORT Abstract Background: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is highly prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While selective eating is common, Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) manifesting as Kwashiorkor in non-famine settings is rare. This report highlights a life-threatening presentation of nutritional deficiency driven solely by behavioral restriction. Case Presentation: A 6-year-old Thai boy presented with generalized edema, desquamating rash for 2 month. History revealed a 1-year duration of extreme food selectivity, consuming only specific brands of rice crackers and refusal of solids, coinciding with developmental regression. Physical examination revealed anasarca, “flaky paint” dermatosis, and perifollicular hemorrhages. Anthropometry showed severe wasting masked by edema. Laboratory investigations confirmed hypoalbuminemia (2.4 g/dL), anemia, and undetectable Vitamin C levels (<0.10 mg/L). Developmental assessment revealed deficits in social communication and restrictive interests, confirming a diagnosis of ASD. The patient was diagnosed with Kwashiorkor, Scurvy, and ARFID. Management involved a multidisciplinary approach including gradual nutritional rehabilitation to prevent refeeding syndrome, vitamin supplementation, and behavioral therapy initiated with lowdose risperidone. The patient showed significant dermatological and physical recovery within 1 month. Conclusion: Severe nutritional complications can arise from undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for ASD and ARFID in children presenting with unexplained malnutrition. Early identification and multidisciplinary management are essential to prevent irreversible developmental sequelae. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 28 (1) January, 2026; 1-5.

STRUCTURAL MANIFESTATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL HIPPOCAMPO-CORTICAL CONNECTIONS IN HUMANS Abstract The human brain is a complex network of interconnected regions that collaborate to support cognitive processes and memory formation. The hippocampus, a crucial hub for episodic memory and spatial navigation, and the cortical areas, responsible for higher-order cognitive functions, are intricately intertwined. These hippocampal-cortical connections suggest that asymmetry in the hippocampal neuronal activity may directly influence the formation of synaptic connections among cortical neurons, thus modulating the processes of neuroplasticity and triggering the formation of cortical functional and morphological asymmetry. This research paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the association between hippocampus size and cortical area sizes, shedding light on their synergistic interplay in supporting cognitive processes. Four human brain specimens (2 male, 2 female) were utilized, and the dimensions of the hippocampus and specific cortical gyri were measured using the Einscan H 3D laser scanner. The results revealed asymmetry and variability in sizes across brain regions and hemispheres. Specifically, the right hemisphere exhibited larger hippocampal size compared to the left hemisphere, with the frontal gyri predominantly larger on the right side. Additionally, the right hippocampus showed significant correlations with contralateral inferior and middle frontal gyri, while the left hippocampus displayed pronounced correlations with contralateral middle and superior lateral frontal gyri. The findings highlight the influential role of the hippocampus in shaping cortical area sizes, particularly in the frontal gyri. These results contribute to our understanding of the complex interdependence between the hippocampus and cortical areas, with implications for memory-related disorders and cognitive deficits. Further research is needed to explore the developmental and aging changes in hippocampal-cortical connections and their impact on brain function.

EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING ON FACEBOOK TO THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE STUDENTS Abstract Despite the advantages Facebook as the leading social networking sites around the globe there are also disadvantages arising and one of those is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying have many definitions and most studies showed results to lower self-esteem of the cyber victims and higher level of self-esteem of the perpetrators. Studies are focused in providing treatment to the problem but only few are focused on providing preventive action plan. Being said, this study’s objectives is to determine the effect of cyberbullying of both the cyberbully and cyber victim to the six dimensions of self-esteem such as the social, competence, affective, academic, family, and physical dimension. The study is a quantitative research study, specifically applying the descriptive approach and a random sampling. The instrument of the study in getting the data are the researchers-made questionnaire of cyberbullying inspired by cyber victim and bullying scale developed by Cetin, Yaman, and Peker and the selfesteem questionnaire inspired by Bracken's multidimensional self-concept scale on self-esteem. These survey questionnaires were pilot tested for validity and internal consistency with the results of good and excellent through “Jamovi Software”. To get the result of the variables being quantified, the study will apply the following statistical tools: Frequency and percentage, mean, and Z-test.

MOTOR SKILLS PROFILE OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND ITS ASSOCIATION TO SOCIALIZATION SKILLS, COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND SYMPTOM SEVERITY Abstract Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by core impairments in socialization and communication skills, alongside restricted and repetitive behaviors. Recent studies suggest that motor skills, essential for early exploration and learning, might be intrinsically linked to these core deficits. This study aims to explore the motor skills profile of children with ASD and its association with their socialization skills, communication skills, and symptom severity. Objectives: This study aims to profile the motor skills of children with ASD and examine their association with socialization skills, communication skills, and symptom severity. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the Child Development Center of the National Children’s Hospital, targeting children diagnosed with ASD aged 1.6-5.11 years. Motor skills were assessed using the Peabody developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS2), while socialization and communication skills were evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory-2 Normative Update (BDI-2 NU). Symptom severity was determined using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-2 ST (CARS-2 ST). Results: The study found significant motor impairments (cumulative percentage of below average, poor and very poor for total motor, 85.84%) in children with ASD, with fine motor skills (79.3%) being more severely affected than gross motor skills (78.1%). There was a notable correlation between motor skills and both socialization (gross motor, r=.202, p=.002; fine motor, r=.381, p<.001) and communication skills (gross motor, r=.307, p<.001; fine motor, r=.133, p=.039), as well as with symptom severity (gross motor, poor OR=2.70, 95% CI (1.00-7.25), p=.049) and very poor (OR=5.82, 95% CI (1.57-21.59), p=.008), (fine motor, poor (OR=4.66, 95% CI (1.77-12.28), p=.002) and very poor (OR=13.60, 95% CI (6.11-30.28), p<.001). Multivariate analysis identified several significant associations with severity symptoms such as poor fine motor skills, older age, higher cognitive skills, better socialization skills and children whose fathers had a college-level education. Conclusions: The results of this study show that motor impairments are significantly evident in children with autism spectrum disorder at the National Children’s Hospital, with their fine motor skills being more severely affected than their gross motor skills. The motor skills of these children are correlated with their socialization skills, communication skills and symptom severity. The results contribute to the growing body of literature on ASD, highlighting the need for integrated therapeutic strategies that address both motor and core autism-related deficits. The implications of this research are pivotal for developing comprehensive care plans that enhance the overall development and quality of life for children with ASD.

IDENTIFICATION AND RANKING OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE TENDENCY OF TEENAGERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE DRUGS ACCORDING TO EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF QUITTING ADDICTION Abstract Background and purpose: Drug addiction is a very important issue in most countries of the world and many studies and researches have been done to deal with this global problem. Various factors such as family, personality, social issues, culture, economy, environment and religion can affect the tendency to addiction. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying and ranking the factors affecting the tendency of teenagers and young people to use drugs according to the experts of quitting addiction. Research method: This research is applied in terms of purpose and "descriptive-exploratory" in terms of nature. The statistical population of this research includes professors and specialists active in the field of addiction counseling in Tehran. Using non-random sampling method, 30 experts participated in this research. Based on literature review in this field, a questionnaire based on 5-point Likert scale including 44 questions was designed. For this questionnaire, the validity of the questionnaire compared to the face validity and reliability of the questions was calculated and verified using Cronbach's alpha method. Findings: The results of this research using the Shannon entropy weighting method showed that all 44 identified factors are effective in the tendency of teenagers and young people to use drugs. These 44 factors were categorized into 7 main factors (including social factors, individual factors, psychological factors, physical and physical factors, family factors, economic factors and religious factors). Also the ranking results showed that economic, social, individual and family factors were more important than other factors. Conclusion: It is necessary to identify and rank the factors affecting the tendency of teenagers and young people to use drugs. Therefore, attention should be paid to the 7 identified factors to reduce the tendency of teenagers and young people to drugs.

THE NURSE PERSONA: A 16PF PROFILING APPROACH FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Abstract Nursing is a challenging and pivotal profession in healthcare. As a result, nurses’ mental health is essential not only for their welfare but also for the quality of care they provide and the overall efficiency of the healthcare system. To address this issue, a personality profiling of employed nurses was conducted using the 16-personality factor questionnaire. The respondents were 32% male and 65% female nurses in a public hospital, selected through a structured random sampling technique. The statistical tools employed for analysis are percentage computation, mean distribution, Pearson correlation coefficient, and T-test. The dominant primary personality traits of the respondents were rule consciousness, emotional stability, perfectionism, privateness, vigilance, and warmth. On the other hand, they scored a low average for tension and average but not dominant personalities for liveliness, self reliance, dominance, sensitivity, abstractedness, and social boldness. These dominant personality factors reflect the positive personality of the nurses; however, some factors like vigilance and privateness contribute to burnout, stress, and anxiety, along with other work-related factors. At the same time, there is a need to improve on other nondominant personalities. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between personality and gender, indicating a strong to near-perfect correlation. However, there was no significant difference between the genders of male and female nurses and their personality profiles. Hence, nurses’ personality profiles are remarkably similar, irrespective of their gender. Therefore, the well-being and mental health programs employed to nurses and other health practitioners may be similar, irrespective of gender. At the same time, personality profiling using the 16PF may serve as a valuable tool for profiling employed nurses and maximizing their contribution to the well-being and mental health of professionals, ultimately contributing to the delivery of quality patient services.

IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL GENES IN EARLY-ONSET ALZHEIMER\'S DISEASE AND RELATED UNDERLYING DISEASES Abstract Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and multifactorial disorder. The investigation of the key genes and metabolic pathways is important to understanding the mechanism of AD. This study aimed to analyze the gene network and biological pathways of AD using bioinformatics approaches. Materials and methods: AD genes were identified and a gene network was constructed using the STRING. Network analysis was performed to identify functional modules and key genes related to AD by Cytoscape and investigate their gene ontology using the g: Profiler. Results: By network clustering, five functional modules were identified, which play an important role in amyloidbeta formation, protein metabolic process, and response to organic substance. APOE, TREM2, SORL1, BIN1, PICALM, ABCA7, CD2AP, CD33, MS4A6A, and CLU, were found as key genes in AD. These genes play roles in the negative regulation of amyloid precursor protein catabolic process. A significant function of these genes is amyloid-beta binding and localized mostly in a somatodendritic compartment. Four key genes that contain APOE, SORL1, ABCA7, and TREM2 are Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (EOAD) genes and have a critical role in AD. In addition, APOE and SORL1 genes, play an indirect role in AD at a young age through the underlying diseases like obesity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertensive. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed some of the underlying diseases are related to EOAD, and control of them can prevent the early occurrence of AD. These results can provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of AD.

THE EFFECT OF MARITAL STATUS AND CHILDREN ON PHYSICIAN’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS Background: Psychiatric illnesses are a public health problem worldwide. An increasing number of Saudi citizens and residents utilize healthcare services for mental health concerns; hence, there is a need to assess these Physician’s attitudes towards psychotropic medications objectively. Aim: To examine of the effect of marital status on attitudes towards psychotropic medications among a sample of physicians in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of three months. The study has been conducted on convenient Sample of physicians working in Saudi Arabia who accepted to share in research. Demographic data was gathered using an electronic self-administered questionnaire and Physician’s attitudes towards psychotropic medications have been evaluated by a previously validated questionnaire. Results: This study included 136 physicians, 67 (49.3%) physicians are married, with 48 (71.6%) of them having children and 19 (28.4%) not having children. Meanwhile, 69 (50.7%) are single, with 3 (4.3%) having children and 66 (95.7%) not having children. Physicians exhibit 83.3%-84.95% positive attitude, while 15.05%-16.7% display a negative attitude towards psychotropic medications. Conclusions: Physician’s attitudes may affect patients’ medication compliance, susceptibility to adverse drug reactions, and illness progression. Our study findings reveal similarities in attitudes towards psychotropic medications between the majority of married and single physicians in Saudi Arabia, regardless of whether they have children or not. Recommendations: Further larger studies are needed on large number of physicians in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to validate our study findings. Additionally, future research should explore the factors that influence Physician’s attitudes towards psychotropic medications, such as their personal experiences with mental illness or their training. Effective teaching and training programs are necessary to bring in Physician’s positive attitude towards psychotropic medications. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 25 (1) January, 2024; 1-12.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PREVALENCE OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN PEOPLE WITH A PAST COVID-19 This paper investigated the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in people who had tested positive for COVID-19. This study also examined the effect of socio demographic characteristics on PTSD levels in people who had tested positive for COVID-19. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between May and November 2022 at the Azadi Teaching Hospital Kirkuk in Kirkuk, Iraq. The study population consisted of 980 people who had tested positive for COVID-19. The inclusion criteria were (1) being 18 years or older and (2) having been admitted to the hospital. Data were collected online (Google forms) using a socio demographic questionnaire and a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (PTSDQ). The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, v.26) at a significance level of <0.05. Frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used for categorical variables. The data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (Kruskal Wallis) and a two-sample t-test. More than half of the participants were women (55.8%). More than a quarter of the participants were 26 to 33 years of age. Participants had a mean PTSDQ score of 47.7 ± 11.9. Gender, educational, and method of infection affected their PTSDQ scores. Female participants had a higher PTSDQ score than male participants. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 25 (12) December, 2023; 1-10.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING BEHAVIOR AND LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS Introduction: University students are at a heightened risk of using cognitive enhancers and psychoactive substances, and this risk is further exacerbated by the presence of depression, which negatively impacts academic performance and increases the likelihood of substance misuse. In Iraq, the use of cognitive enhancers and psychoactive substances has grown in the past decade due to sociopolitical factors. However, depression among tobacco users remains unrecognized and overlooked, receiving inadequate attention. Objectives: This study aims to measure the levels of depression among nursing students, examine the association between smoking behavior dependence and levels of depression, as well as to find out the relationship between levels of depression and demographic characteristics. Results: The results reveal that the majority of participants (53.9%) had a moderate level of depression (M=2.36). The highest mean level was observed in all depression scale. The study also revealed a significant relationship between age group and depression at a p-value of below 0.05. Moreover, the study also revealed a significant relationship between age and depression at a p-value of below 0.05, and between ages starts smoking. Conclusions: The level of depression the smoking student was moderate. The factors include smoking type, age at which individuals started smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the place of smoking, it can be inferred that smoking habits and behaviors contribute significantly to the likelihood of experiencing depression. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 25 (1) January, 2023; 1- .