Title |
Serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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Published in |
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, October 2015
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DOI | 10.1007/s00787-015-0786-1 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Tiantian Wang, Ling Shan, Lin Du, Junyan Feng, Zhida Xu, Wouter G. Staal, Feiyong Jia |
Abstract |
Vitamin D may play an important role in the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Vitamin D is regarded as a neuroactive steroid affecting brain development and function. It plays an essential role in myelination, which is important for connectivity in the brain. Studies have shown that decreased vitamin D levels in patients, decreased maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy, and decreased exposure to solar UVB might increase the risk for ASD. In addition, autism symptoms and global functioning may improve after vitamin D supplementation. Here, we sought to aggregate information from previous publications on vitamin D levels and ASD, in order to achieve a higher statistical power and thereby to determine the validity of vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for ASD. For this meta-analysis, 11 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, accounting for a total of 870 ASD patients and 782 healthy controls. Levels of serum 25(OH) D in participants with ASD were significantly lower than controls, suggesting that lower vitamin D level might be a risk factor for ASD. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Spain | 2 | 20% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 20% |
Canada | 1 | 10% |
Unknown | 5 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 5 | 50% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 30% |
Scientists | 2 | 20% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 199 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 34 | 17% |
Student > Master | 33 | 17% |
Student > Bachelor | 23 | 12% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 17 | 9% |
Other | 12 | 6% |
Other | 34 | 17% |
Unknown | 47 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Medicine and Dentistry | 48 | 24% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 20 | 10% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 9% |
Neuroscience | 17 | 9% |
Psychology | 15 | 8% |
Other | 34 | 17% |
Unknown | 49 | 25% |