Although Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder Research Articles

Assessment of pragmatic skills in adults with ADHD

Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is among the most common diagnoses in childhood, a formal diagnosis, frequently, is delayed until adulthood. As a result, the individuals who are not diagnosed in childhood miss out on the early treatment and may experience considerable social and pragmatic challenges, culminating in factors that impact their daily living, educational achievements and professional performance. Children and adolescents who do not receive an ADHD treatment carry their symptoms into adulthood, that typically result in functional and pragmatical difficulties. However, assessing pragmatic deficits in adults with ADHD presents challenges, stemming from various factors such as educational backgrounds, under-resourced family environments, compensatory mechanisms in individuals with high intelligence and the presence of other comorbid conditions. Consequently, overlooking pragmatic and functional difficulties can lead to significant social difficulties, which in turn may negatively impact their daily living, educational achievements and career progression. This study proposes a comprehensive and cost-effective approach to evaluating pragmatic skills in adults with ADHD, by adapting a systematic and standardized method, for the assessment of the pragmatic abilities, originally developed for neurotypical individuals by Acara and Bambini (2016). The results show the importance of incorporating this assessment tool into the diagnostic procedures for ADHD that can be further applied in the intervention programs. This assessment tool provides a valid onset criterion for advancing effective intervention programs that are focused on the pragmatic skills. Thus, this evaluation tool, first, can pinpoint pragmatic deficits within the ADHD community, and, second, can foster the development of the targeted intervention programs concentrated on enhancing pragmatic skills in the individuals with ADHD.

Treatment with psychostimulants and atomoxetine in people with psychotic disorders: reassessing the risk of clinical deterioration in a real-world setting.

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often comorbid with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (SZSPD), concerns about an increased risk of psychotic events have limited its treatment with either psychostimulants or atomoxetine. To examine whether the risk of hospital admission for psychosis in people with SZSPD was increased during the year following the introduction of such medications compared with the year before. This was a retrospective cohort study using Quebec (Canada) administrative health registries, including all Quebec residents with a public prescription drug insurance plan and a diagnosis of psychotic disorder, defined by relevant ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes, who initiated either methylphenidate, amphetamines or atomoxetine, between January 2010 and December 2016, in combination with antipsychotic medication. The primary outcome was time to hospital admission for psychosis within 1 year of initiation. State sequence analysis was also used to visualise admission trajectories for psychosis in the year following initiation of these medications, compared with the previous year. Out of 2219 individuals, 1589 (71.6%) initiated methylphenidate, 339 (15.3%) amphetamines and 291 (13.1%) atomoxetine during the study period. After adjustment, the risk of hospital admission for psychosis was decreased during the 12 months following the introduction of these medications when used in combination with antipsychotics (adjusted HR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.24-0.54; P < 0.0001). These findings suggest that, in a real-world setting, when used concurrently with antipsychotic medication, methylphenidate, amphetamines and atomoxetine may be safer than generally believed in individuals with psychotic disorders.

Cortical and subcortical structural differences in psychostimulant-free ADHD youth with and without a family history of bipolar I disorder: a cross-sectional morphometric comparison

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a family history of bipolar I disorder (BD) are associated with increased risk for developing BD, their neuroanatomical substrates remain poorly understood. This study compared cortical and subcortical gray matter morphology in psychostimulant-free ADHD youth with and without a first-degree relative with BD and typically developing healthy controls. ADHD youth (ages 10-18 years) with (‘high-risk’, HR) or without (‘low-risk’, LR) a first-degree relative with BD and healthy comparison youth (HC) were enrolled. High-resolution 3D T1-weighted images were acquired using a Philips 3.0 T MR scanner. The FreeSurfer image analysis suite was used to measure cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes. A general linear model evaluated group differences in MRI features with age and sex as covariates, and exploratory correlational analyses evaluated associations with symptom ratings. A total of n = 142 youth (mean age: 14.16 ± 2.54 years, 35.9% female) were included in the analysis (HC, n = 48; LR, n = 49; HR, n = 45). The HR group exhibited a more severe symptom profile, including higher mania and dysregulation scores, compared to the LR group. For subcortical volumes, the HR group exhibited smaller bilateral thalamic, hippocampal, and left caudate nucleus volumes compared to both LR and HC, and smaller right caudate nucleus compared with LR. No differences were found between LR and HC groups. For cortical surface area, the HR group exhibited lower parietal and temporal surface area compared with HC and LR, and lower orbitofrontal and superior frontal surface area compared to LR. The HR group exhibited lower left anterior cingulate surface area compared with HC. LR participants exhibited greater right pars opercularis surface area compared with the HC. Some cortical alterations correlated with symptom severity ratings. These findings suggest that ADHD in youth with a BD family history is associated with a more a severe symptom profile and a neuroanatomical phenotype that distinguishes it from ADHD without a BD family history.

Association between ADHD symptoms and illicit stimulants use following 1 year among French university students of the i-Share cohort.

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with illicit stimulants use, less is known about their prospective association in university students. We aimed to examine the association between ADHD symptoms at inclusion and illicit stimulants use following 1 year among university students. The i-Share cohort recruited French students from February 2013 to July 2020. The study included 4270 participants. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was used to evaluate ADHD symptoms at inclusion. Illicit stimulants use was assessed at inclusion and 1 year after inclusion. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to assess the association between ADHD symptoms at inclusion and illicit stimulants use following 1 year. High levels of ADHD symptoms at inclusion were associated with a greater probability of illicit stimulants use following 1 year (adjusted OR: 2.42 (1.51-3.8)). The adjusted odds ratio was 2.7 (1.08-7.84) among participants who had used illicit stimulant at least once (continuation) and 2.25 (1.04-4.37) among participants who had never used illicit stimulants at inclusion (initiation). High levels of ADHD symptoms are a feature that may promote both initiation and continuation of illicit stimulants use among university students. Our findings suggest that university students with high levels of ADHD symptoms may benefit from screening to help identify those at risk of illicit stimulants use.

Deep Learning-Based ADHD and ADHD-RISK Classification Technology through the Recognition of Children’s Abnormal Behaviors during the Robot-Led ADHD Screening Game

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children is rising worldwide, fewer studies have focused on screening than on the treatment of ADHD. Most previous similar ADHD classification studies classified only ADHD and normal classes. However, medical professionals believe that better distinguishing the ADHD-RISK class will assist them socially and medically. We created a projection-based game in which we can see stimuli and responses to better understand children's abnormal behavior. The developed screening game is divided into 11 stages. Children play five games. Each game is divided into waiting and game stages; thus, 10 stages are created, and the additional waiting stage includes an explanation stage where the robot waits while explaining the first game. Herein, we classified normal, ADHD-RISK, and ADHD using skeleton data obtained through games for ADHD screening of children and a bidirectional long short-term memory-based deep learning model. We verified the importance of each stage by passing the feature for each stage through the channel attention layer. Consequently, the final classification accuracy of the three classes was 98.15% using bi-directional LSTM with channel attention model. Additionally, the attention scores obtained through the channel attention layer indicated that the data in the latter part of the game are heavily involved in learning the ADHD-RISK case. These results imply that for ADHD-RISK, the game is repeated, and children's attention decreases as they progress to the second half.

Pediatric Mental Health Disparities: Time to Look in The Mirror?

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder of childhood, this disorder continues to be underrecognized. ADHD is a disabling disorder associated with a deleterious effect on individual and family functioning. Diagnosis and treatment are required to avoid often detrimental consequences of untreated ADHD. Although ADHD exists in similar rates across cultures, health care disparities exist related to diagnosis and treatment. Despite improved policies in recent years aimed at closing the gaps in care, this problem continues. There is a significant need to ask why and consider the following question: Is it time to look in the mirror?

Familial risk for bipolar I disorder is associated with erythrocyte omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid deficits in youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a family history of bipolar I disorder (BD) increase the risk for developing BD, associated pathoetiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. One candidate risk factor is a neurodevelopmental deficiency in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This study investigated erythrocyte EPA+DHA biostatus in psychostimulant-free ADHD youth with (‘high-risk’, HR) and without (‘low-risk’, LR) a first-degree relative with BD, and healthy controls (HC). Erythrocyte EPA+DHA composition was determined by gas chromatography, and symptom ratings were performed. A total of n = 123 (HR, n = 41; LR, n = 42; HC, n = 40) youth (mean age: 14.4 ± 2.5 years) were included in the analysis. Compared with HC, erythrocyte EPA+DHA composition was significantly lower in HR (-13%) but not LR (-3%), and there was a trend for HR to be lower than LR (-11%). Both HR and LR differed significantly from HC on all symptom ratings. HR had greater ADHD hyperactivity/impulsive symptom severity, manic symptom severity, and higher parent-reported ratings of internalization, externalization, and dysregulation, compared with LR. ADHD youth with a BD family history exhibit erythrocyte EPA+DHA deficits and a more severe clinical profile, including greater manic and dysregulation symptoms, compared with ADHD youth without a BD family history.

Trace amine-associated receptor 1 modulates motor hyperactivity, cognition, and anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of ADHD

Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that has recently been implicated in several psychiatric conditions related to monoaminergic dysfunction, such as schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and mood disorders. Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is also related to changes in monoaminergic neurotransmission, studies that assess whether TAAR1 participates in the neurobiology of ADHD are lacking. We hypothesized that TAAR1 plays an important role in ADHD and might represent a potential therapeutic target. Here, we investigate if TAAR1 modulates behavioral phenotypes in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), the most validated animal model of ADHD, and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY, used as a control strain). Our results showed that TAAR1 is downregulated in ADHD-related brain regions in SHR compared with WKY. While intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the selective TAAR1 antagonist EPPTB impaired cognitive performance in SHR, i.c.v. administration of highly selective TAAR1 full agonist RO5256390 decreased motor hyperactivity, novelty-induced locomotion, and induced an anxiolytic-like behavior. Overall, our findings show that changes in TAAR1 levels/activity underlie behavior in SHR, suggesting that TAAR1 plays a role in the neurobiology of ADHD. Although additional confirmatory studies are required, TAAR1 might be a potential pharmacological target for individuals with this disorder.

Internet Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been related to an increased risk for behavioral addictions, the relationship between ADHD and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is still debated. The aim of this study is to address this topic by exploring the prevalence of IGD in a consecutive sample of ADHD youth, compared to a normal control group, and by assessing selected psychopathological and cognitive features in ADHD patients with and without IGD. One hundred and eight patients with ADHD (mean age 11.7 ± 2.6 years, 96 males) and 147 normal controls (NC) (mean age 13.9 ± 3.0 years, 114 males) were included in the study and received structured measures for IGD. In the ADHD group, 44% of the sample were above the IGD cut-off, compared to 9.5% in the NC group. ADHD patients with IGD presented with greater severity and impairment, more severe ADHD symptomatology, more internalizing symptoms, particularly withdrawal/depression and socialization problems, and more prominence of addiction and evasion dimensions. A binary logistic regression showed that the degree of inattention presented a greater weight in determining IGD. These findings may be helpful for identifying, among ADHD patients, those at higher risk for developing a superimposed IGD.

Prediction of Long-term Prognosis of Children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Conjunction with Deep Neural Network Regression

Background: Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms decrease with the factors such as age, many individuals keep suffering from the disorder in adolescence and adulthood. Objective: In this paper, a deep learning algorithm was built to forecast the prognosis of ADHD, using the patient's clinical features, the measurement of their response to treatment, and the degree of improvement seen after six years of follow-up. Participants and Settings: The clinical findings such as socio-demographic data of 433 patients followed by the child and adolescent psychiatry department for an average of 6 years with diagnoses of ADHD, and ADHD sub-type, accompanying oppositional/conduct disorders, other psychiatric and organic disorders, the effectiveness of psychotherapy and medication on attention, academic status, and behavioral problems were used to help predict prognosis. Methods: A deep neural network (DNN) learning-based regressor was used to make a prediction model. Results: The results obtained from the DNN regression model achieved accurate predictions for all outputs. The mean error for all outputs was evaluated as mean-squared error (mse) and 0.0068 mean-absolute error (mae), respectively. The R-value was evaluated as 0.91316. It was proven that the model prediction power was adequate as tested with these metrics. Conclusions: This methodology improves the prediction of ADHD prognosis and provides a robust predictive model. Studies with larger samples may support the results.

Impact of Combined Continuous Treatment on the Symptoms and Quality of Life of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Prospective Observational Study

Purpose: Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, studies involving the long-term treatment effects on symptoms and quality of life (QOL) are few in number and the results are conflicting. The purpose of the current study was todetermine the effect of combined (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic) continuous treatment on the symptoms and QOL in children with ADHD after initial stabilization of symptoms.&#x0D; Methods: Seventeen children with ADHD (mean age = 8.5 years; 15 boys and two girls) were included in this prospective observational study. The children were assesed at baseline and 9 months later based on the ADHD Rating Scale (RS), Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S), and Child Health and Illness Profile/Parent Report Form-76 (CHIP-CE).&#x0D; Results: After 9 months of treatment, the ADHD RS showed improvement in symptoms in two items closely related to attention (p &lt;0.05); the global value remained unchanged. Furthermore, the CGI-S showed improvement in the severity of ADHD (p &lt;0.05). CHIP-CE showed stability and &gt; 50% improvement in the QOL among participants in four of five domains with no statistically significant difference.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that continued treatment of ADHD was justified after initial stabilization of symptoms and further improvement in symptoms and QOL can be expected.

Effects of methylphenidate on cognitive functions in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Does baseline performance matter?

Objective: Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with cognitive deficits, there is considerable heterogeneity and only a minority of individuals with the disorder demonstrate a deficit in any cognitive domain. Recent studies indicate that the relationships between ADHD symptoms and cognition are complex with a dissociation between medication responses across these two domains. Method: We examined whether methylphenidate (MPH) differentially impacts on cognition in those with and without pretreatment cognitive deficits in a 4-week randomized controlled crossover of high (0.6 mg/kg/dose) and low (0.3 mg/kg/dose) dose MPH and placebo in 75 medication-naive boys with ADHD. Cognition was assessed using tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to form latent cognitive factors of executive functioning, visual memory, and reaction time, as well as a general cognition factor. Results: Compared to placebo, both high and low MPH doses significantly improved performance on pattern recognition (PR), spatial recognition (SR), and simple reaction time. The low, but not the high, dose improved performance on the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) and delayed matching-to-sample tasks. Both doses also significantly improved performance on the executive functioning, visual memory, reaction time skills, and general cognitive latent variables. There were however no differences in the effects of MPH on cognition between those with and without a baseline cognitive deficit, for either the observed task values or the latent cognitive factor scores. Conclusions: We conclude that MPH can enhance executive functioning, visual memory, reaction time, and general cognitive function in boys with ADHD. These improvements are not dependent on baseline cognitive performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

MiR-132 and miR-942 Expression Levels in Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: A Controlled Study.

ObjectiveAlthough attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disease with high genetic transition, our knowledge about the mechanism of the disease is limited. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the levels of miR-132-3p and miR-942-5p that are associated with the dopamine carrier protein gene (DAT1) and dopamine receptor 5 (DRD5) genes, which have been shown to play a role in the development of ADHD.MethodsAccording to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition, 50 children diagnosed with ADHD and 48 healthy controls were included in the study. Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Interview Schedule-Now and Lifetime Version-Turkish Adaptation was used to evaluate ADHD and the diagnoses accompanying ADHD. Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to evaluate miR-132-3p and miR-942-5p expression levels.ResultsIt was observed that miR-132-3p level (p = 0.001) was significantly higher with children with ADHD compared to the control group, and the level of miR-942-5p (p = 0.181) was higher in ADHD but did not reach statistically significant level.ConclusionIn our study, we found that the increase in the miR-132-3p levels of children with ADHD may be a therapeutic target of the disease.

Impact of the School Environment on Medical Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Wide Register Data Study of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most heritable psychiatric childhood disorders, social and gene-environment interactions seemingly play an important role in the etiology of ADHD. Consistent with this, this study finds that School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) reduced the likelihood of pharmacotherapeutic treatment for ADHD at age 14-16 by 12%, using population-wide Norwegian register data and a difference-in-difference design (N=698,364, birth cohorts 1990-2002, 48.7% girls, 5.7% immigrant background). At-risk students in schools with high fidelity of implementation are driving these intervention effects. Overall, the findings indicate that children with a genetic disposition for ADHD are more likely to avoid medical treatment in an organized and predictable school setting with a focus on positive reinforcement.

Impact of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity on longitudinal course in Internet gaming disorder: a 3‐year clinical cohort study

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were identified as a key risk factor for Internet gaming disorder (IGD), the effect of ADHD comorbidity on longitudinal course of IGD in the clinical population remains to be further examined. This study aimed to investigate whether ADHD comorbidity in IGD patients affects the recovery, recurrence rates, and trajectories of IGD symptoms, and examine the relationship between the changes in IGD and ADHD symptoms. The study included 128 IGD patients without any psychiatric comorbidities (pure-IGD group) and 127 IGD patients with comorbid ADHD (ADHD-IGD group) aged 11 to 42years. IGD and ADHD were diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria at enrollment. Participants were offered 8-week treatment with additional care provided as needed and followed up over a 3-year period. IGD diagnosis was reassessed annually and used as a dichotomous outcome. The severity of IGD and ADHD symptoms was measured using the Young Internet Addiction Scale and the Korean ADHD rating scale, respectively, at baseline and each annual follow-up. The recovery rates of IGD by Year 3 were 60% and 93% in ADHD-IGD and in pure-IGD groups, respectively. The ADHD-IGD group showed lower rates of recovery, higher odds of recurrence within 1year, and higher severity of IGD symptoms over time than the pure-IGD group. Family environment was also associated with the trajectories of IGD symptoms. The changes in ADHD symptoms were significantly associated with the changes in IGD symptoms. This study found that ADHD comorbidity in IGD patients was associated with poor clinical course of IGD and that the changes in ADHD symptoms were associated with the changes in IGD symptoms over time. Our findings suggest that evaluation and treatment of ADHD symptoms and family environment in IGD patients may be important in improving the prognosis of IGD.

Synergistic efficacy and diminished adverse effect profile of composite treatment of several ADHD medications

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely studied, problems regarding the adverse effect risks and non-responder problems still need to be addressed. Combination pharmacotherapy using standard dose regimens of existing medication is currently being practiced mainly to augment the therapeutic efficacy of each drug. The idea of combining different pharmacotherapies with different molecular targets to alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and its comorbidities requires scientific evidence, necessitating the investigation of their therapeutic efficacy and the mechanisms underlying the professed synergistic effects. Here, we injected male ICR mice with MK-801 to induce ADHD behavioral condition. We then modeled a “combined drug” using sub-optimal doses of methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and fluoxetine and investigated the combined treatment effects in MK-801-treated mice. No sub-optimal dose monotherapy alleviated ADHD behavioral condition in MK-801-treated mice. However, treatment with the combined drug attenuated the impaired behavior of MK-801-treated animals. Growth impediment, sleep disturbances, or risk of substance abuse were not observed in mice treated subchronically with the combined drugs. Finally, we observed that the combined ADHD drug rescued alterations in p-AKT and p-ERK1/2 levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, respectively, of MK-801-treated mice. Our results provide experimental evidence of a possible new pharmacotherapy option in ameliorating the ADHD behavioral condition without the expected adverse effects. The detailed mechanism of action underlying the synergistic therapeutic efficacy and reduced adverse reaction by combinatorial drug treatment should be investigated further in future studies.

Metacognition in adult ADHD: subjective and objective perspectives on self-awareness of cognitive functioning

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is associated with marked cognitive impairment, research on metacognition in adult ADHD is scarce. Deficits in metacognition may have a negative impact on treatment adherence, functional outcomes, and everyday life. This study explores metacognition, specifically self-awareness of cognitive performance, in adults with ADHD by combining objective and subjective assessments. Forty-seven patients with ADHD and 47 control individuals completed a neuropsychological assessment battery including tests for attention, executive functions and memory (objective assessment), as well as questionnaires for cognitive functioning and symptom severity (subjective assessment; self- and informant-report). Participants evaluated their test performance of the objective assessment after test completion by selecting a percentile rank which was subtracted from their normed test result, yielding a discrepancy score. Compared to controls, adults with ADHD showed impairments in attention (medium effects) and memory (small and medium effects), but not in executive functions. The discrepancy scores between self-evaluation and cognitive performance revealed deficits in self-awareness of attentional functions (small effects), but not in executive functions and memory in patients with ADHD compared to controls. Discrepancy scores between self- and informant-reports of cognitive functioning revealed no significant differences. Adults with ADHD show impairments in metacognition in attentional functions, but may have intact metacognitive abilities in other domains. Patients with ADHD tend to overestimate their abilities, especially in attentional functions. Subjective and objective measures of metacognition may not correspond, highlighting the need for clinicians to not solely rely on patients’ self-report in their assessment.

Body dissatisfaction and weight control behaviour in children with ADHD: a population-based study.

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with eating disorders (EDs), it is unclear when ED risk emerges in children with ADHD. We compared differences in body dissatisfaction and weight control behaviour in children with/without ADHD aged 12-13years concurrently, and when aged 8-9 and 10-11years, to determine when risk emerges. We also examined differences by ADHD medication status at each age. This study uses waves 1-5 from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n = 2323-2972). ADHD (7.7%) was defined at age 12-13years by both parent- and teacher-reported SDQ Hyperactivity-Inattention scores > 90th percentile, parent-reported ADHD diagnosis and/or ADHD medication treatment. Children reported body dissatisfaction and weight control behaviour at 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13years. Children with ADHD had greater odds of body dissatisfaction at ages 8-9 and 12-13years. Comorbidities drove this relationship at 8-9 but not at 12-13years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.6; 95 % CI 1.1-2.4; p = 0.01]. At 12-13years, children with ADHD had greater odds of both trying to lose and gain weight, regardless of BMI status. Comorbidities drove the risk of trying to lose weight in ADHD but not of trying to gain weight (AOR 2.3; 95% CI 1.1-4.6; p = 0.03), which is likely accounted for by ADHD medication treatment. ADHD moderately increases body dissatisfaction risk in children aged 8-9 and 12-13years. Clinicians should monitor this and weight control behaviour throughout mid-late childhood, particularly in children with comorbid conditions and those taking ADHD medication, to reduce the likelihood of later ED onset.

Invariance of parent ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms for children with and without intellectual disability.

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered a valid diagnosis for children with intellectual disability, no studies have evaluated the invariance of ADHD symptom ratings across children with and without intellectual disability. Parents completed ratings on the ADHD symptoms for 189 children with intellectual disability and for 474 children without intellectual disability. Differential item functioning analysis was used to determine the equivalence of the ADHD symptoms across the two groups. The symptoms loses things, talks too much, and blurts out answers showed significant bias against children with intellectual disability. The prevalence of ADHD in children with intellectual disability was 18% (according to the symptom criterion), and 7.4% when the academic and/or social impairment criterion was also considered. Most of the ADHD symptoms can be valid for the assessment of ADHD in children with mild and moderate intellectual disability. ADHD symptoms may be used in further studies to establish base rates of the disorder in the intellectual disability population.

The Prevalence of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Among Students and Its Relation with Drug Consumption

Background: Although Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common mental disorder among adults, until recently, it was seldom diagnosed in adults. The significance of this disorder as a disease afflicting adults is increasing on a daily basis due to the complications associated with it such as disrupting occupational and educational functionality, as well as increasing the probability of drug abuse among those suffering from it. Objectives: With due regard to the significance of the subject. This study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the ADHD symptoms exhibited by students at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Patients and Methods: The present investigation is a descriptive-analytical study conducted at Zahedan Universitsy of Medical Sciences. The consensus sampling method was implemented to a sample volume consisting of 1000 persons. Based on the goals set in this research, two questionnaires were presented to the students to be completed arbitrarily: the demographic questionnaire and the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale Screening Version (CAARS-O:SV) questionnaire. The obtained information was then fed as input to the SPSS Software for analysis. Results: Of the 1000 questionnaires, 913 were completely answered by participants: 589 (64.5%) by female and 324 (35.5%) by male students. The average age of the participants was 21.7 ± 3.2. About 8% of the students reported drug abuse during the previous month. Compared with the symptom-free group, 27.1% in the inattention group, 30.3% in the hyperactivity group, 28.1% in the impulsiveness group, and 36.7% in the self-image problem group mentioned cases of drug abuse. Conclusions: The obtained results seem to indicate frequent occurrences of ADHD symptoms among the students. This requires further clinical evaluation and, if possible, diagnosis and consequent medical treatment for preventing the loss of educational performance or possible drug abuse, as well as decreasing impulsiveness.