Phenotypic and Genetic Associations Between Preschool Fine Motor Skills and Later Neurodevelopment, Psychopathology, and Educational Achievement

BACKGROUND

Fine motor skills are heritable and comprise important milestones in development, and some evidence suggests that impairments in fine motor skills are associated with neurodevelopmental conditions, psychiatric disorders, and poor educational outcomes.

METHODS

In a preregistered study of 9625 preschool children from TEDS (Twins Early Development Study), fine motor assessments (drawing, block building, folding, and questionnaires) were conducted at 2, 3, and 4 years of age. A cross-age fine motor score was derived using principal component analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the fine motor score and neurodevelopmental traits, psychopathology, and educational outcomes at 3 later ages (7-8, 12, and 16 years) and cross-age psychopathology composite scores. Polygenic scores (PGSs) were created for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and years of education. We ran single-PGS models and a multi-PGS model.

RESULTS

Fine motor skills were negatively associated with neurodevelopmental traits and psychopathology across childhood and adolescence and positively associated with educational achievement in adolescence (β = 0.25, p < .001). Superior fine motor skills were associated with a higher years-of-education PGS (β = 0.07, p < .001), a lower ADHD PGS (β = -0.04, p = .011), and a higher anxiety PGS (β = 0.03, p = .040). Similarly, the multi-PGS model retained the PGSs for years of education (β = 0.07), ADHD (β = -0.03), and anxiety (β = 0.01). A non-preregistered analysis in an independent preschool sample replicated the ADHD PGS association, but not the years of education or anxiety PGS associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Fine motor skills are linked genetically and phenotypically to later neurodevelopment, psychopathology, and educational outcomes. Future work should investigate the mechanisms that underlie the role of fine motor development in later outcomes.

Differential effects of diminished oestrogen and androgen levels on development of skeletal muscle fibres in hypogonadal mice

Androgen and oestrogen hormones influence skeletal muscle size and the characteristics of skeletal muscle fibre types. These effects have typically been assessed by producing acute shortages (castration/ovariectomy) or by hormone supplementation. Little evidence exists, however, on how sex hormone shortages affect muscle development from early stages through to adulthood. Using the hypogonadal mouse model (hpg) we examined the effects of diminished androgen and oestrogen upon muscle size and fibre type composition in murine gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Hypogonadal male soleus muscle was significantly smaller than normal males, and approximated the normal and hypogonadal females weight and fibre type characteristics. The hypogonadal male gastrocnemius muscle, however, was significantly small in comparison with normal and hypogonadal female gastrocnemius muscles, with the type IIB fibre diameters decreased most markedly. The hypogonadal female soleus muscle approximated the normal female phenotype, but the gastrocnemius muscle was larger than the normal female, approximating the size of the normal male gastrocnemius muscle. Here too, the type IIB fibres showed the most alteration, with greatly increased fibre diameters. Appropriate amounts of androgens were necessary for gender-specific patterns of growth in male muscles, whilst similar amounts of oestrogen were necessary for female gastrocnemius muscle growth, but not for female soleus muscle. Hypogonadism in this murine model generally retards muscle development in males, but has no apparent influence or enhances muscle development in females. Type IIB fibres are most dependent upon sex hormones for appropriate development, but this relationship is muscle-specific.

Transfix: a new range of all-silicone male incontinence sheaths

Urinary incontinence can have a significant detrimental effect on a person's body image and self-esteem because it undermine society's norms relating to control of the body. This can be further complicated by the use of devices to control urinary incontinence. Sheath drainage systems are the most common method of managing urinary incontinence in men. A discreet, reliable sheath drainage system can have both physical and psychological benefits. A full continence assessment is paramount for a successful outcome as there are several potential problems associated with this method of management. There are many products available, so the health professional needs a comprehensive knowledge of both products and application techniques. The Sims Portex Transfix range of all-silicone self-adhesive sheathes have many benefits and offer a reliable form of sheath management for male urinary incontinence.

Hospital discharges. Creating bed room

A review of hospital discharge arrangements in one health authority has reduced the number of lost bed days by two-thirds. Previously, some patients were waiting in acute beds for six months, and 10 per cent of all beds in the acute hospitals were occupied by patients ready for discharge. The number of patients waiting for discharge has fallen from 280 last summer to 60. The HA has used winter pressures money to top up social services funding for residential home places and has bought intermediate care places in homes.

Evaluation of two coated catheters in intermittent self-catheterization

Intermittent self-catheterization (ISC) has addressed the problems of mechanical or functional urological voiding since the 1970s. Patient quality of life is enhanced by the increased independence and security offered by ISC (Lapides et al, 1972). A randomized, comparative crossover study was undertaken in two centres to evaluate the performance of SpeediCath (Coloplast) and Lofric (Astra Tech) catheters. A total of 27 subjects were recruited, all of whom had been performing ISC more than twice a day for longer than 3 months with a coated catheter. Each catheter was used for 1 week to assess catheter performance and acceptability. There were no significant differences recorded for the performance of each catheter. However, SpeediCath demonstrated favourable statistical significance in relation to ease of use, speed of use, and the concept of water as an integral part of the packaging of the catheter.

The Andover Working Group--accelerating the implementation of standards

The Andover Working Group was formed with the objective to accelerate and broadly deliver standards-based solutions for healthcare which feature plug and play interoperability across the continuum of care. In this paper, organization and processes used by the Andover Working Group are discussed. A description of how multilateral message profiles, combined with object-oriented component middleware supporting application developments, systems integration and systems operation remove many of the barriers to deployment of systems of standards based applications is also given.

Characterization of cholestasis induced by estradiol-17 beta-D-glucuronide in the rat

Estradiol-17 beta-D-glucuronide induced an immediate, profound and reversible inhibition of bile flow after its i.v. administration in the rat. The degree of cholestasis was dose-dependent in the range of 8.5 to 21 mumol/kg i.v. A dose of 11 mumol/kg i.v. inhibited bile flow and bile acid secretory rate 65 to 70% within 15 to 30 min of its administration; bile flow and bile acid secretion had returned to near control values within 3 hr. Linear regression analysis of the relationship between bile flow and bile acid secretion indicated a substantial decrease in bile acid independent flow. In contrast, neither estradiol-17 beta, estradiol-3-glucuronide nor estradiol-3-sulfate-17 beta-D-glucuronide at an equimolar dose had any inhibitory effect on these parameters. After a dose of [3H]estradiol-17 beta-D-glucuronide, 79% of the administered radioactivity was excreted in the bile in 3 hr. Estradiol-3-sulfate-17 beta-D-glucuronide was tentatively identified as the predominant biliary metabolite with estradiol-17 beta-D-glucuronide also present in substantial amounts. These data indicate that estradiol-17 beta-D-glucuronide is toxicologically active and suggest the possibility that this estrogen metabolite may induce hepatic pathology in vivo.

The location of spermine in bacterial ribosomes as indicated by 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and by ethidium bromide

1. When the binding of ethidium bromide to rRNA is measured both in the presence and in the absence of spermine, by spectrophotometric titrations, by gel filtration, or by the changes in fluorescence intensity, spermine competes with ethidium bromide for sites on the rRNA; under the conditions used in these experiments ethidium bromide is bound to the double-stranded regions of rRNA. 2. When an excess of ethidium bromide is added to ribosomes from Bacillus stearothermophilus approx. 80% of the endogenous spermine is displaced from the ribosomes. 3. [(14)C]Spermine is fixed to ribosomes by either formaldehyde or 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Most of the [(14)C]spermine, fixed to ribosomes by 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, attaches to the ribosomal protein. 4. It is concluded that most of the endogenous spermine is bound to the double-stranded RNA in ribosomes, and that some of these double-stranded regions to which spermine is attached also have ribosomal proteins bound to them.