The study shows a deficit in elementary frontal cognitive processes in PWS patients. This deficit may be involved in the social behaviour disorders that characterize such patients, as described in other development or frontal syndrome pathologies. However, we cannot affirm that the deficits found are specific to PWS; they could also occur in other causes of intellectual disability. Although in the study sample IQ did not correlate with frontal deficits, further research is needed to establish whether the neuropsychological alterations described form part of a cognitive phenotype for PWS. We believe that our understanding of the social behaviours typical of PWS may be improved by taking into consideration the cognitive functioning models of the prefrontal lobe, particularly those applied to pervasive developmental disorders.

Higher maternal circulating levels of 25(OH)D3 in pregnancy are associated with lower risk of developing ADHD-like symptoms in childhood.

This study aimed to analyze different behavioral profiles in response to chronic social defeat using the sensorial contact model. We hypothesized that a passive profile, unlike an active one, would be associated with behavioral and physiological characteristics related to depression. Six-week-old OF1 male mice were subjected to defeat for 21 consecutive days. A combination of cluster and discriminant analyses of the behavior exhibited during confrontation on Day 21 established two behavioral profiles: active (n = 22) and passive (n = 34). Passive mice, with a high level of immobility and low non-social exploration, had higher plasma corticosterone concentrations than active mice after 21 days of defeat. Three days after the last defeat, passive mice had lower corticosterone levels than manipulated-control mice (n = 11). Higher levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the spleen and lower hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were observed in passive mice in comparison with those in active mice and the manipulated controls. The only differences observed in active mice in relation to the manipulated control were higher plasma corticosterone (Day 21) and TNF-α levels. The results show that different behavioral profiles in response to chronic defeat are associated with different physiological profiles, and that the passive profile presents physiological characteristics previously associated with depression.

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