Objective

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had lower vitamin D3 levels than neurotypical (NT) children, as well as deficits in language, social, and fine motor abilities. Nanotechnology has appeared as a suitable answer to absorption and bioavailability problems related to vitamin D3. This study aims to investigate the influence of vitamin D3-loaded nanoemulsion supplementation on adaptive behavior and language performance in children with ASD compared to the influence of the marketed product of vitamin D3.

Methods

Supplementation of ASD children with an oral vitamin D3-loaded nanoemulsion was performed in group I while the marketed product of the oral vitamin D3 was used in group II for 6 months. Evaluation of their abilities and measuring the plasma levels of 2 types of vitamin D3 were performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography before and after supplementation.

Results

Supplementation in group I (n ​= ​40) has led to an elevation of levels of 25 (OH) and 1, 25 (OH)₂ forms of vitamin D3 (P ​< ​0.000,1), to behavioral improvement in the form of a reduction in ASD severity, and to a rise in the social IQ and total language age of ASD children (P ​= ​0.000,2, 0.04, 0.000,9, respectively). On the other hand, group II (n ​= ​40) did not show adaptive behavioral improvements.

Conclusions

The vitamin D3-loaded nanoemulsion provided better vitamin D3 bioavailability and a true influence on severity, adaptive behavior, fine motor abilities, and language performance, reflecting the desired benefits of the rise of vitamin D3 levels in the blood.

Cognitive neuroscientists at Brown University investigated one of humanity’s favorite pastimes and discovered how people can spread gossip without the subject of that gossip finding out — at least not right away. In a study supported by a federal grant from the National Science Foundation, the researchers found that gossiping relies on a person’s ability to perform complex computational processes each time they decide to spread information, and that most people do this instinctively.