J Formos Med Assoc
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the relationship between cognitive function and future falls in Chinese community-dwelling older adults with and without diabetes mellitus.
The aim of this study was to determine whether cognitive function is associated with future falls in older patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared with those without DM. Cognitive function was divided into several domains to further analyze. ⋯ Our study found that in patients with DM, cognitive function is related to future falls. Not only overall cognitive function, but also orientation to place and registration were all associated with future falls in older adults with DM. When completing the fall risk assessment of elderly patients with DM, clinicians should give more attention to the testing of cognitive function.
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The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), involving multiple components of clinical assessments, is challenging. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G), one of the standardized and validated instruments for ASD diagnostic evaluation, has been widely used in many countries. With the preparation of the Mandarin version of the ADOS-G (Mandarin-ADOS-G), this study aims to examine its psychometric properties, including reliability and validity. ⋯ The Mandarin-ADOS-G is a reliable and valid instrument for assisting the diagnosis of ASD in the Mandarin-speaking population.
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Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is the most widely used tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the prognostic factors of HCC patients with normal serum AFP levels. ⋯ Liver functional reserve, anti-viral therapy, tumor size, vascular invasion, and treatment modalities, determined the outcomes of HCC patients with normal serum AFP levels, but serum AFP levels did not.
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Although the neural mechanisms of the theory of mind (ToM) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through fMRI using the social animation task have been investigated, little is known in adults with ASD. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the neural substrates of ToM in adults with ASD. Moreover, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between brain activation and behavior of social interaction in adults with ASD. ⋯ ASD adults might spend a lot of effort on identification processing, thereby influencing social communication skills. Also, the neural deficits of ToM in ASD adults might be associated with their social interaction difficulties.