We conducted the present study to examine cognitive function and serum heat shock protein 70 levels among children with temporal lobe epilepsy. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was carried out to examine cognitive function in 30 children with temporal lobe epilepsy and 30 controls. Serum heat shock protein 70 levels were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The epilepsy group had significantly lower cognitive function testing scores and significantly higher serum heat shock protein 70 levels than the control group; there were significant negative correlations between serum heat shock protein 70 levels and short-term memory and composite scores. Children with uncontrolled seizures had significantly lower verbal reasoning scores and significantly higher serum heat shock protein 70 levels than children with controlled seizures. Children with temporal lobe epilepsy have cognitive dysfunction and elevated levels of serum heat shock protein 70, which may be considered a stress biomarker.

Background The etiological and pathophysiological factors of learning disorder (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are currently not well understood. These disorders disrupt some cognitive abilities. Identifying biomarkers for these disorders is a cornerstone to their proper management. Kynurenine (KYN) and oxidative stress markers have been reported to influence some cognitive abilities. Therefore, the aim was to measure the level of KYN and some oxidative stress indicators in children with LD with and without ADHD and to investigate their correlations with the abilities of children with LD. Methods The study included 154 participants who were divided into 3 groups: one for children who have LD (N = 69); another for children with LD and ADHD (N = 31); and a group for neurotypical (NT) children (N = 54). IQ testing, reading, writing, and other ability performance evaluation was performed for children with LD. Measuring plasma levels of KYN, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed for all participants. Results Some IQ measures and learning skills differed between the first two groups. The biochemical measures differed between children with LD (with and without ADHD) and NT children (p < 0.001). However, the biochemical measures did not show a significant statistical difference between the first two groups. KYN and glutathione peroxidase levels were correlated with one-minute writing and at-risk quotient, respectively (p = 0.03;0.04). KYN and malondialdehyde showed the highest sensitivity and specificity values. Conclusion These biochemical measures could be involved or have a role in the abilities’ performance of children with specific learning disorder.

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Aim To investigate the effectiveness of a 90-day regular consumption of Dates fruit on alleviating autism severity symptoms in 131 Egyptian children aged 3–12 years with confirmed Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The influence of the baseline and improvement of children’s clinical and laboratory characteristics on this effectiveness was explored. Methodology This study involved a randomized, controlled, double-blind 3-month of dates fruit intake. Cases were randomized into one of the three groups; Group I on 3 pieces of dates’ fruit/day (47 children), Group II on 5 pieces of dates’ fruits/day (42 children), and group III; on non-dates group (42 children). The probiotic levels of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in stool, blood levels of three oxidative markers; Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), adaptive behaviors, nutrition, dietary assessment, and anthropometric measurements were assessed before and after the intervention. Results A significant reduction in the mean severity score of CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Ed (DSM-5) was detected for those on dates’ regimens compared to those with non-dates (p < 0.01). The improvement for participants was dose dependent (5 dates’ fruits/day). The improvement was mainly in the social communication and interaction domains. Responders to Dates’ fruit intake as based on DSM-5 diagnosis was detected among 62.9% of the intervention groups. Responders are those who showed significant improvement in the colony counts of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli levels, BMI z score, and in the ratio levels of both MDA/SOD and MDA/GPX as a result of dates fruit consumption. Non-responders within the intervention groups are those who were at risk of malnutrition (RR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4), obese (RR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0-3.5), and those who had a deficiency of the baseline of lactobacillus Spp (RR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1–4.4). Conclusion Dates’ fruit (a non-pharmacological and risk-free option) due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect is recommended for autistic children as adjuvant therapy daily to achieve consistent improvement. This study was registered at the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov) # NCT04261595, with Protocol ID: 12060158, the first registration date was 10/02/2020.

The presence of comorbid Irlen syndrome (IS) in children with developmental dyslexia (DD) may have an impact on their reading and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was reported to be expressed in brain areas involved in cognitive and visual processing. The aim of this study was to evaluate some cognitive abilities of a group of dyslexic children with IS and to measure and compare the plasma BDNF level to dyslexic children without IS and neurotypical (NT) children. The participants were 60 children with DD (30 in the DD + IS group; 30 in the DD group) and 30 NT children. The Irlen reading perceptual scale, the Stanford Binet intelligence scale, 4th ed, the dyslexia assessment test, and the Illinois test of psycholinguistic abilities were used. The BDNF level was measured using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. One‐minute writing and visual closure deficits were more prevalent, while phonemic segmentation deficits were less prevalent in the DD + IS group compared to the DD group. The BDNF level in the DD groups was lower than that in NT children (p < 0.001). Some reading and non‐reading tasks were influenced by the presence of a coexisting IS. The reduced BDNF level could play a role in the deficits noticed in the abilities of children with DD.