Comparison of plantar pressure distribution in adolescent runners at low vs. high running velocity.

This study aimed to compare foot plantar pressure distribution while jogging and running in highly trained adolescent runners. Eleven participants performed two constant-velocity running trials either at jogging (11.2 ± 0.9 km/h) or running (17.8 ± 1.4 km/h) pace on a treadmill. Contact area (CA in cm(2)), maximum force (F(max) in N), peak pressure (PP in kPa), contact time (CT in ms), and relative load (force time integral in each individual region divided by the force time integral for the total plantar foot surface, in %) were measured in nine regions of the right foot using an in-shoe plantar pressure device. Under the whole foot, CA, F(max) and PP were lower in jogging than in running (-1.2% [p<0.05], -12.3% [p<0.001] and -15.1% [p<0.01] respectively) whereas CT was higher (+20.1%; p<0.001). Interestingly, we found an increase in relative load under the medial and central forefoot regions while jogging (+6.7% and +3.7%, respectively; [p<0.05]), while the relative load under the lesser toes (-8.4%; p<0.05) was reduced. In order to prevent overloading of the metatarsals in adolescent runners, excessive mileage at jogging pace should be avoided.

‘Lo hablamos’, un proyecto de sensibilización sobre salud mental dirigido a adolescentes

Boletín semanal para profesionales sanitarios de la Secretaría General de Salud Pública y Participación Social de la Consejería de Salud

Estudio HBSC, un análisis riguroso de las conductas, escenarios de vida y determinantes que influyen en la salud escolar

Boletín semanal para profesionales sanitarios de la Secretaría General de Salud Pública y Participación Social de la Consejería de Salud

La atención a la juventud con enfoque de género clave en la prevención del tabaquismo en Andalucía

Boletín semanal para profesionales sanitarios de la Secretaría General de Salud Pública y Participación Social de la Consejería de Salud

Desarrollo positivo: un nuevo enfoque de intervención en la adolescencia

Boletín semanal para profesionales sanitarios de la Secretaría General de Salud Pública y Participación Social de la Consejería de Salud

13 a 14 años. Información básica para la crianza

Información elaborada a partir de: Proyecto de Humanización de la Atención Perinatal en Andalucía; Plan para la Promoción de la Actividad Física y la Alimentación Equilibrada; Plan Integral de Obesidad Infantil de Andalucía; Programas de Promoción de Salud Bucodental "Sonrisitas" y "Aprende a sonreir"; Plan Integral de Atención a la Accidentabilidad de Andalucía; Plan Integral de Tabaquismo de Andalucía; Plan Integral de Oncología de Andalucía. Publicado en el Portal Web de Ventana Abierta a la familia: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud/ventanafamilias

Novel (60%) and recurrent (40%) androgen receptor gene mutations in a series of 59 patients with a 46,XY disorder of sex development.

BACKGROUND Androgen receptor (AR) gene mutations are the most frequent cause of 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) and are associated with a variety of phenotypes, ranging from phenotypic women [complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS)] to milder degrees of undervirilization (partial form or PAIS) or men with only infertility (mild form or MAIS). OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to characterize the contribution of the AR gene to the molecular cause of 46,XY DSD in a series of Spanish patients. SETTING We studied a series of 133 index patients with 46,XY DSD in whom gonads were differentiated as testes, with phenotypes including varying degrees of undervirilization, and in whom the AR gene was the first candidate for a molecular analysis. METHODS The AR gene was sequenced (exons 1 to 8 with intronic flanking regions) in all patients and in family members of 61% of AR-mutated gene patients. RESULTS AR gene mutations were found in 59 individuals (44.4% of index patients), of whom 46 (78%) were CAIS and 13 (22%) PAIS. Fifty-seven different mutations were found: 21.0% located in exon 1, 15.8% in exons 2 and 3, 57.9% in exons 4-8, and 5.3% intronic. Twenty-three mutations (40.4%) had been previously described and 34 (59.6%) were novel. CONCLUSIONS AR gene mutation is the most frequent cause of 46,XY DSD, with a clearly higher frequency in the complete phenotype. Mutations spread along the whole coding sequence, including exon 1. This series shows that 60% of mutations detected during the period 2002-2009 were novel.

Efectos de la deficiencia de yodo sobre variables intelectuales en una población infantil.

An association between severe iodine deficiency and poor mental development has been found in many studies. We examined the relationship between moderate or mild iodine deficiency and intellectual capacity in order to determine whether problems common to severe iodine deficiency (including mental retardation) also emerge in a more subtle form. We also wished to know whether the classic methodology (comparing iodine-deficient zones with nondeficient zones) is the most adequate, and propose to combine this grouping by zones with urinary iodine presented by individuals in each zone. We measured IQ, manipulative and verbal capacity, attention, visual motor ability and disruptive behaviour, variables that have barely been studied in this kind of investigations. The sample comprised 760 schoolchildren from the province of Jaén (southern Spain). Our results show that children with low levels of iodine intake and with urinary iodine concentration lower than 100 microg/litre had a lower IQ and displayed more disruptive behaviour than children with high levels of the criteria. The other variables were not associated with iodine deficiency.

Multispectral brain morphometry in Tourette syndrome persisting into adulthood.

Tourette syndrome is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder with a high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity and obsessive-compulsive disorder co-morbidities. Structural changes have been found in frontal cortex and striatum in children and adolescents. A limited number of morphometric studies in Tourette syndrome persisting into adulthood suggest ongoing structural alterations affecting frontostriatal circuits. Using cortical thickness estimation and voxel-based analysis of T1- and diffusion-weighted structural magnetic resonance images, we examined 40 adults with Tourette syndrome in comparison with 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Patients with Tourette syndrome showed relative grey matter volume reduction in orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices bilaterally. Cortical thinning extended into the limbic mesial temporal lobe. The grey matter changes were modulated additionally by the presence of co-morbidities and symptom severity. Prefrontal cortical thickness reduction correlated negatively with tic severity, while volume increase in primary somatosensory cortex depended on the intensity of premonitory sensations. Orbitofrontal cortex volume changes were further associated with abnormal water diffusivity within grey matter. White matter analysis revealed changes in fibre coherence in patients with Tourette syndrome within anterior parts of the corpus callosum. The severity of motor tics and premonitory urges had an impact on the integrity of tracts corresponding to cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical connections. Our results provide empirical support for a patho-aetiological model of Tourette syndrome based on developmental abnormalities, with perturbation of compensatory systems marking persistence of symptoms into adulthood. We interpret the symptom severity related grey matter volume increase in distinct functional brain areas as evidence of ongoing structural plasticity. The convergence of evidence from volume and water diffusivity imaging strengthens the validity of our findings and attests to the value of a novel multimodal combination of volume and cortical thickness estimations that provides unique and complementary information by exploiting their differential sensitivity to structural change.

Research letter: is neuroticism a risk factor for postpartum depression?

Although the relationship between personality and depressive illness is complex (Shea, 2005), there is empirical evidence that some personality features such as neuroticism, harm avoidance, introversion, dependency, self-criticism or perfectionism are related to depressive illness risk (Gunderson et al. 1999).

Efectividad de la terapia cognitivo-conductual en la pérdida de peso tras dos años de cirugía bariátrica en pacientes con obesidad mórbida.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the success of postoperative weight loss after 2 years of CB. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in consecutive patients with morbid obesity aged between 18 and 59 yrs and enrolled in the bariatric surgery program of the Obesity Surgery Unit of our hospital from June 2007 through June 2010, with two years postoperative follow-up. Participants were divided into two groups according to their participation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or not. Over a 3-month period, CBT was applied in 12 2-h sessions. The main dependent variables studied were body weight and height, from which we calculated BMI and percentage of excess weight lost (weight lost x 100)/(initial weight-ideal weight), classifying patients as successful (E ) those with EPP > 50%, and unsuccessful (NE) those with EPP <50%. Participants were also, assessed for general (stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem) and specific (binge eating and food craving) psychopathology. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients with bariatric surgery, 30 responded postoperative evaluations, 16 underwent CBT before CB and 14 underwent surgery without receiving psycho-nutritional therapy, (76% female) with a mean age of 41 ± 9.5 years. The mean baseline BMI was 42 ± 10 and 45% of patients were classified as super obese (BMI: 56 ± 6). Mean excess weight loss (EPP) was 77%. According to the EPP were classified as "successful" (S) (59%) and "unsuccessful" (U) (41%). Of the patients assigned to S, 94% received CBT (15 individuals of 17 total), compared with only 12% who did not receive (2 individuals of the 17 total) with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Also, the S patients appeared to be significantly less anxious and stressed and have higher self-esteem (P < 0.05). Regarding specific psychopathology, the food craving guided by hunger, loss of control over food intake and guilt was lower in patients who achieved > 50% of EPP (p < 0.04, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). It was also noted that these patients were plans to eat less and ate less for positive reinforcement (p < 0.03 and p < 0.000, respectively) than the patient group NE