Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Research Articles

Novel variants in the SOX11 gene: clinical description of seven new patients.

Pathogenic SOX11 variants have been associated with intellectual developmental disorder with microcephaly, and with or without ocular malformations or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) (IDDMOH, OMIM # 615866). In this article, we report seven new patients with de novo SOX11 variants. Five of the variants are missense, one nonsense, and one whole-gene deletion, most of them are novel variants. The main clinical features included neurodevelopmental delay (7/7) and intellectual disability (5/7), autism/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (5/7), microcephaly (4/7), short stature (4/7), hypotonia (4/7), and clinodactyly of the 5th fingers (5/7). HH was confirmed in two female patients with primary amenorrhea, nonvisualized/prepubertal size of the uterus, and nonvisualized ovaries. Two of the male patients presented with micropenis, two had cryptorchidism, and one had decreased testicular size, which are suggestive findings of HH. This article contributes to the clinical characterization of patients with SOX11 variants and supports the role of this gene in HH.

Exploring the Unmet Needs of Teachers of Young Children with ADHD Symptoms: A Qualitative Study.

Children with Attention and Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and those at risk of ADHD typically exhibit challenging behaviours that may disrupt the classroom environment and be frustrating for teachers. This study aimed to explore teachers' experiences and emotions regarding teaching children with high levels of ADHD symptoms and their perceptions of what might help to meet their unmet support needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 primary educational practitioners for children aged between four and eight years in the UK. Interview scripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six main themes and 8 subthemes were developed. These included: (1) ADHD behaviours can disrupt the learning environment; (2) teachers face practical demands on their expertise and particular skills; (3) managing ADHD behaviours can be overwhelming for teachers; (4) teachers and children may treat children with ADHD negatively, which can impact on children's emotions and lead to labelling; (5) existing support for teachers is limited; and (6) teachers need more specific training about ADHD. The analysis revealed that teachers working with children with externalising behaviours such as ADHD can feel overwhelmed. The findings from this study suggest that teachers require more training in managing externalising behaviour in the classroom.

Associations of alcohol and tobacco use with psychotic, depressive and developmental disorders revealed via multimodal neuroimaging

People affected by psychotic, depressive and developmental disorders are at a higher risk for alcohol and tobacco use. However, the further associations between alcohol/tobacco use and symptoms/cognition in these disorders remain unexplored. We identified multimodal brain networks involving alcohol use (n = 707) and tobacco use (n = 281) via supervised multimodal fusion and evaluated if these networks affected symptoms and cognition in people with psychotic (schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder/bipolar, n = 178/134/143), depressive (major depressive disorder, n = 260) and developmental (autism spectrum disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, n = 421/346) disorders. Alcohol and tobacco use scores were used as references to guide functional and structural imaging fusion to identify alcohol/tobacco use associated multimodal patterns. Correlation analyses between the extracted brain features and symptoms or cognition were performed to evaluate the relationships between alcohol/tobacco use with symptoms/cognition in 6 psychiatric disorders. Results showed that (1) the default mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN) were associated with alcohol use, whereas the DMN and fronto-limbic network (FLN) were associated with tobacco use; (2) the DMN and fronto-basal ganglia (FBG) related to alcohol/tobacco use were correlated with symptom and cognition in psychosis; (3) the middle temporal cortex related to alcohol/tobacco use was associated with cognition in depression; (4) the DMN related to alcohol/tobacco use was related to symptom, whereas the SN and limbic system (LB) were related to cognition in developmental disorders. In summary, alcohol and tobacco use were associated with structural and functional abnormalities in DMN, SN and FLN and had significant associations with cognition and symptoms in psychotic, depressive and developmental disorders likely via different brain networks. Further understanding of these relationships may assist clinicians in the development of future approaches to improve symptoms and cognition among psychotic, depressive and developmental disorders.

Childhood neurodivergent traits, inflammation and chronic disabling fatigue in adolescence: a longitudinal case–control study

ObjectivesTo test whether inflammatory processes link the expression of childhood neurodivergent traits to chronic disabling fatigue in adolescence.DesignLongitudinal case–control study.SettingWe analysed data from The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and...

Parent stress and social support in a randomized controlled trial of individual versus group parent training for children with HKD/ADHD

AbstractObjectivesAssess (a) the relative benefit of individual versus group parent training compared to treatment as usual (TAU) with an emphasis on parent outcomes. Investigate (b) if group parent training increases social support more than other modes of treatment and explore (c) how social support interacts with different modes of treatment.MethodCompared individual with group parent training and treatment as usual (TAU) in a randomized controlled trial for N = 237 children with Hyperkinetic Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (HKD/ADHD). Employed two formats of the same cognitive‐behavioural parent training in the same settings to maximize comparability. Controlled for medication status and assessed changes from pre‐ to post‐treatment and 6‐month follow‐up.ResultsParents reported more positive changes in the parent training groups than in TAU in relation to child behaviour problems and moodiness as well as more positive changes in parent stress and sense of competence. However, gains on parent stress were limited after group training as were gains on satisfaction. Social support improved similarly in all treatment groups. While results indicated clear main effects of social support on all child and parent measures, interactions of social support and treatment outcomes were found for child moodiness and parent stress.ConclusionsCognitive‐behavioural parent training is beneficial beyond TAU, especially when it can be provided individually. Surprisingly, group training did not reduce parent stress more than TAU or individual training. Social support related to all measures and interacted with treatment on some outcomes. The findings have numerous implications for research and practice.

ADHD: Development of a printable poster for parents, teachers and healthcare professionals

IntroductionADHD is a very frequent reason for consultation in child psychiatry. It affects 2.5% of children and 5% of adults. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment is based on medication combined with psychosocial interventions.ObjectivesDevelop an ADHD guide for caregivers.MethodsWe carried out a literature review covering the last 5 years using the google scholar and pubmed search engines, including the key words ADHD, in order to produce a printable guide for caregivers working with children, in particular school teachers and healthcare personnel.ResultsAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5% of school-age children.It is characterized by abnormally high levels of developmental inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, leading to impaired personal, social, academic or occupational functioning. Because of its pervasiveness, ADHD can interfere negatively with general well-being, as well as with social life, academic performance and the development of social skills, which can lead to low self-esteem.ADHD has multiple etiologies. It is thought to be due to a complex interaction between genes and environment. In fact, genetic vulnerability predisposes to the disorder which, under the influence of an unfavorable environment, expresses itself in clinical symptoms represented by 2 dimensions: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.Diagnosis is essentially clinical, and treatment is based on medication combined with psychosocial interventions.ConclusionsADHD is one of the most frequently encountered disorders in general practice, pediatrics and child psychiatry. Early recognition of the disorder enables appropriate management, while limiting the impact of the disease on the functioning of the young person and his or her family.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Functional Brain Network Connectivity Changes in Children and Adolescents with Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resting-State Brain Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background: ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Altered functional connectivity has been associated with ADHD symptoms. This study aimed to investigate abnormal changes in the functional connectivity of resting-state brain networks (RSNs) among children and adolescents with different subtypes of ADHD.
 Methods: This study was performed on 50 participants Group A: included 30 children and adolescents with ADHD Group B: included 20 normal typically developing controls. All participants aged between 7 and 16 years. All study patients. All participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment by applying the DSM-5 criteria to them. All study children and adolescents will undergo a R-fMRI examination, including Blood oxygenation level dependent BOLD-MRI and pulsed Arterial spin labeling MRI (PASL-MRI).
 Results: According to Conner’s Rating scale, there was a significant difference between ADHD subtypes and severity. Children with combined subtype were more likely to have severe degree in both teacher and parent editions of Conner’s Rating Scale. On the other hand, children with inattentive subtype had less severe degrees by both teacher and parent edition. There were a statistically significance difference between both genders as regard ADHD severity according to Conner’s Rating scale (Teacher and parent editions) (P value = 0.049, 0.028 respectively). Males were significantly affected by moderate and severe type compared to females whose affection were mostly mild and moderate. According to CBCL, most of ADHD children had low competence parameters. There was a statistically significant difference (P value < 0.001) on the type of ADHD and social competence in the studied children, where the lowest parameters were found in children with hyperactive type.
 Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference on the type of ADHD and social competence, where the lowest parameters were found in children with hyperactive type.

Long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes of discordant twins delivered at term: A nationwide population-based study.

To evaluate long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes of discordant twins delivered at term. Retrospective cohort study. Nationwide (Republic of Korea). All twin children delivered at term between 2007 and 2010. The study population was divided into two groups according to inter-twin birthweight discordancy: the 'concordant twin group', twin pairs with inter-twin birthweight discordancy less than 20%; and the 'discordant twin group', twin pairs with inter-twin birthweight discordancy of 20% or more. The risk of long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes was compared between the concordant twin group and the discordant twin group. Long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes between smaller and larger twin children within twin pairs were further analysed. The composite adverse neurodevelopmental outcome was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: motor developmental delay, cognitive developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders/attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, tics/stereotypical behaviour or epileptic/febrile seizure. Long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Of 22 468 twin children (11 234 pairs) included, 3412 (15.19%) twin children were discordant. The risk of composite adverse neurodevelopmental outcome was higher in the discordant twin group than in the concordant twin group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24). The long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes were not significantly different between smaller and larger twin children in discordant twin pairs (adjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.81-1.28). In twin pairs delivered at term, an inter-twin birthweight discordancy of 20% or greater was associated with long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes; and long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes were not significantly different in smaller or larger twin children in discordant twin pairs.

Situation-specific outcomes (Home Situations Questionnaire) in a randomized controlled trial of individual versus group parent training for children with Hyperkinetic Disorder/Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Assess (a) the variability of behaviour problems in children with Hyperkinetic Disorder/Attention-DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (HKD/ADHD) across a range of family situations and (b) the degree to which behaviour in each situation can be modified through a cognitive behavioural parent training (CBPT). Furthermore (c), compare the effectiveness of training in two different formats and (d) test the proposition that group treatment benefits behaviour in a wider range of situations than individual treatment. A registered multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing individual and group parent training to treatment-as-usual (TAU) for N=237 children with HKD/ADHD. A German version of the Home Situations Questionnaire (HSQ) was employed to examine behaviour problems across a range of family situations, treatment-related changes post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up, while controlling for medication status. Parents reported considerable variance in severity of behaviour problems across situations. All groups improved with time, but individual and group CBPT led to significantly greater improvement than TAU in many family situations. Results present situation-specific treatment trajectories and demonstrate somewhat greater impact of individual compared with group training in certain situations post-training and 6months later. CBPT clearly adds to TAU (with effect sizes in the small to moderate range depending on situation). Individual was somewhat more successful than group format (which did not succeed in a wider range of situations). HSQ situations reveal a differentiated picture of child behaviour and treatment results. Situation-specific assessment with an instrument like the HSQ offers promising perspectives that invite further development.

Prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms among university students

Background: Many general practitioners admit to having limited skills in recognizing and treating adult attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This results in late treatment and have a significant impact on many facets of life. Objective: To assess the prevalence of ADHD symptoms among students in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: In 2022, a cross-sectional study on a sample of 1,569 students. The students' responses to online surveys (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) were used to collect data. The statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 23. Results: ADHD was more common than the average by 30.3%. Additionally, the prevalence of ADHD and it's shown to have a gender effect, with females scoring 35.05% and 16.60% higher on the ADHD and hyperactivity scales than males. Conclusion: The high frequency of ADHD symptoms among college students points to the significance of early clinical identification of risk factors, which will enhance the quality of life for those with ADHD.

The Student Voice: Recommendations for Supporting the Success of Graduate Students with Disabilities in Online Courses

ABSTRACT This article offers recommendations for online graduate students, instructors, and universities to better meet the needs of students with disabilities who increasingly participate in online courses. Using semi-structured interviews, researchers asked what recommendations participants from respective disability categories have for supporting them in their pursuit of a graduate education in an online environment. Thirteen graduate participants represented five disability classifications including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychological disorders, chronic health impairments, or visual impairments. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify disability-specific recommendations through constant comparison of individual data sets. Recommendations for students, instructors, and universities focused on instructor-student communication and relationships, online course design, and a changing and active role of institutional support services. The collaborative efforts of all are emphasized.

Stable through the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a longitudinal telephone interview study in psychiatric outpatients

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with far-reaching changes all over the world. Health care systems were and are also affected. Little is known about the impact of these changes and the duration of the pandemic on people with mental disorders. The aim of this longitudinal follow-up study was to investigate the mental health status, medical care provision, and attitudes towards the pandemic of these people at the end of the second pandemic lockdown in Germany in 2021, and to compare these findings with the results of 2020. People with mental disorders currently receiving treatment in the psychiatric outpatient department of the University Hospital Leipzig, Germany, were asked about depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), self-reported medical care provision, attitudes and social and emotional aspects of the pandemic (social support [ESSI], perceived stress [PSS-4], loneliness [UCLA-3-LS], and resilience [BRS]) using structured telephone interviews. In total, N = 75 participants who had already participated in the first survey in 2020 took part in the follow-up telephone interviews. The most frequent clinician-rated diagnoses were attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 21; 28.0%) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 16; 21.3%). In comparison to 2020, a significantly higher proportion of participants reported no problems in receiving medical care provision. Compared to the previous year, the resilience of the participants had significantly decreased. Depressive symptoms, social support, perceived stress, and loneliness remained stable. Significantly more participants felt restricted by the pandemic-related government measures in 2021 than in 2020. This study highlights the importance for continued efforts to maintain stable medical care provision for people with mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, as except for a decrease in resilience, mental health status remained stable. Nonetheless there is still a need for continued treatment to stabilise and improve this status.

Delineation of a KDM2B-related neurodevelopmental disorder and its associated DNA methylation signature

PurposePathogenic variants in genes involved in the epigenetic machinery are an emerging cause of neurodevelopment disorders (NDDs). Lysine-demethylase 2B (KDM2B) encodes an epigenetic regulator and mouse models suggest an important role during development. We set out to determine whether KDM2B variants are associated with NDD. MethodsThrough international collaborations, we collected data on individuals with heterozygous KDM2B variants. We applied methylation arrays on peripheral blood DNA samples to determine a KDM2B associated epigenetic signature. ResultsWe recruited a total of 27 individuals with heterozygous variants in KDM2B. We present evidence, including a shared epigenetic signature, to support a pathogenic classification of 15 KDM2B variants and identify the CxxC domain as a mutational hotspot. Both loss-of-function and CxxC-domain missense variants present with a specific subepisignature. Moreover, the KDM2B episignature was identified in the context of a dual molecular diagnosis in multiple individuals. Our efforts resulted in a cohort of 21 individuals with heterozygous (likely) pathogenic variants. Individuals in this cohort present with developmental delay and/or intellectual disability; autism; attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; congenital organ anomalies mainly of the heart, eyes, and urogenital system; and subtle facial dysmorphism. ConclusionPathogenic heterozygous variants in KDM2B are associated with NDD and a specific epigenetic signature detectable in peripheral blood.

Fetal alcohol syndrome and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders: A longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundThis hypothesis-testing study evaluated the relationship between fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and neurodevelopmental disorder (ND) diagnoses within the Independent Healthcare Research Database (IHRD). MethodsDe-identified eligibility and claim healthcare records prospectively generated from the 1990–2012 Florida Medicaid system were analyzed using SAS software. There were 89,766 children continuously eligible with ≥10 outpatient office visits during the 120 month period following birth in the cohort examined. A total of 321 children were diagnosed with FAS. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (n = 922), tics (n = 551), attention deficit disorder/attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) (n = 20,260), mental retardation (MR) (n = 915), and specific delays in development (SDD) (n = 24,630) incidence rates were examined using frequency risk ratio (RR) and logistic regression models. ResultsThe incidence rate of tics (RR = 5.68), ADD/ADHD (RR = 2.30), MR (RR = 7.83), SDD (RR = 2.88), and ASD (RR = 6.74) were significantly increased among FAS diagnosed children as compared to undiagnosed children. Adjusted (for gender, race, residency, and date of birth) odds ratios (ORs) were significantly increased for tics (OR = 4.87), ADD/ADHD (OR = 3.40), MR (OR = 7.91), SDD (OR = 9.56), and ASD (OR = 6.87) when comparing the FAS diagnosed children to undiagnosed children. ConclusionTens of thousands of American children with lifetime costs in the billions of US dollars were estimated to be impacted by FAS-associated NDs. These impacts are particularly tragic because FAS is dependent upon lifestyle.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein as inflammatory markers in children with attention –deficit hyperactivity disorder

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein as inflammatory markers in children with attention –deficit hyperactivity disorder

Towards Web Equality: Efforts on Web Accessibility for Persons with Cognitive Disability

With the fast-paced development of digital innovations, web technologies are on the rise. With this in mind, making the web accessible for all became an interesting line of research and development. Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them with minimal to no supervision. More specifically, people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web. Over the past years, there have been attempts to achieve web accessibility for web users with physical, visual, and sensory disabilities. However, people with cognitive disabilities were not seen as a user group, thus, leaving them far behind the target general population for improving web accessibility. This paper presents an overview of the current state of web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. This paper attempts to come up with a unified definition of web accessibility and identify its components. The study identified the common reasons for the non-conformity of web accessibility. Moreover, the different cognitive disabilities and their linked issues are presented. Furthermore, this study reviews the various interventions made by governments and private organizations worldwide. The study uncovered that web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities hadn’t been a priority for research which resulted in non-conformities with the accessibility guidelines such as poor interface design, confusing guides and instructions, robustness, and lack of features to cater to the needs of people with cognitive disabilities. Results show that in each kind of cognitive disability, namely Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability, Memory Impairments, Perceptual Disability, and Seizure Disorder, people experience various difficulties in accessing the web, specifically on processing too much content or information, confusing instructions, typographies, and grammar. Laws have been imposed on different Asian and Western countries to address these difficulties. In contrast, other countries and organizations have adopted the Web Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In conclusion, as organizations gear toward web equality, governments have the initiative to move towards the goal by implementing different laws and policies driving the WCAG 2.0 as a basis of these to orchestrate the design of websites effectively. Furthermore, this study calls for action for extensive research on web accessibility for cognitive disabilities as it is not only valuable to the vulnerable sector of society but also for the rest of the population.

Towards Web Equality: Efforts on Web Accessibility for Persons with Cognitive Disability

With the fast-paced development of digital innovations, web technologies are on the rise. With this in mind, making the web accessible for all became an interesting line of research and development. Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them with minimal to no supervision. More specifically, people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web. Over the past years, there have been attempts to achieve web accessibility for web users with physical, visual, and sensory disabilities. However, people with cognitive disabilities were not seen as a user group, thus, leaving them far behind the target general population for improving web accessibility. This paper presents an overview of the current state of web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. This paper attempts to come up with a unified definition of web accessibility and identify its components. The study identified the common reasons for the non-conformity of web accessibility. Moreover, the different cognitive disabilities and their linked issues are presented. Furthermore, this study reviews the various interventions made by governments and private organizations worldwide. The study uncovered that web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities hadn’t been a priority for research which resulted in non-conformities with the accessibility guidelines such as poor interface design, confusing guides and instructions, robustness, and lack of features to cater to the needs of people with cognitive disabilities. Results show that in each kind of cognitive disability, namely Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability, Memory Impairments, Perceptual Disability, and Seizure Disorder, people experience various difficulties in accessing the web, specifically on processing too much content or information, confusing instructions, typographies, and grammar. Laws have been imposed on different Asian and Western countries to address these difficulties. In contrast, other countries and organizations have adopted the Web Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In conclusion, as organizations gear toward web equality, governments have the initiative to move towards the goal by implementing different laws and policies driving the WCAG 2.0 as a basis of these to orchestrate the design of websites effectively. Furthermore, this study calls for action for extensive research on web accessibility for cognitive disabilities as it is not only valuable to the vulnerable sector of society but also for the rest of the population.

Towards Web Equality: Efforts on Web Accessibility for Persons with Cognitive Disability

With the fast-paced development of digital innovations, web technologies are on the rise. With this in mind, making the web accessible for all became an interesting line of research and development. Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them with minimal to no supervision. More specifically, people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web. Over the past years, there have been attempts to achieve web accessibility for web users with physical, visual, and sensory disabilities. However, people with cognitive disabilities were not seen as a user group, thus, leaving them far behind the target general population for improving web accessibility. This paper presents an overview of the current state of web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. This paper attempts to come up with a unified definition of web accessibility and identify its components. The study identified the common reasons for the non-conformity of web accessibility. Moreover, the different cognitive disabilities and their linked issues are presented. Furthermore, this study reviews the various interventions made by governments and private organizations worldwide. The study uncovered that web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities hadn’t been a priority for research which resulted in non-conformities with the accessibility guidelines such as poor interface design, confusing guides and instructions, robustness, and lack of features to cater to the needs of people with cognitive disabilities. Results show that in each kind of cognitive disability, namely Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability, Memory Impairments, Perceptual Disability, and Seizure Disorder, people experience various difficulties in accessing the web, specifically on processing too much content or information, confusing instructions, typographies, and grammar. Laws have been imposed on different Asian and Western countries to address these difficulties. In contrast, other countries and organizations have adopted the Web Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In conclusion, as organizations gear toward web equality, governments have the initiative to move towards the goal by implementing different laws and policies driving the WCAG 2.0 as a basis of these to orchestrate the design of websites effectively. Furthermore, this study calls for action for extensive research on web accessibility for cognitive disabilities as it is not only valuable to the vulnerable sector of society but also for the rest of the population.

Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in people with mental disorders: An exploratory telephone interview study in a psychiatric outpatient department

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures reduced well-being in the general population significantly and led to an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms, however, results on the impact on people with mental disorders are heterogeneous to date. The aim of this study was to investigate the mental health status, social support, perceived stress, and the medical care provision of people with mental disorders during the time period immediately after the first COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 in Germany. MethodsParticipants were people with mental disorders currently receiving treatment in the psychiatric outpatient department of the University Hospital Leipzig, Germany. Structured telephone interviews were administered to assess depressive symptoms, self-rated medical care provision, attitudes and social and emotional aspects of the pandemic (social support, perceived stress, loneliness, resilience, and agreeableness). ResultsA total of N = 106 people completed the telephone interview. The most frequent clinician-rated diagnoses were attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD; n = 29, 27.4%) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; n = 24, 22.6%). The mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 sum score was 10.91 (SD = 5.71) and the majority of participants (n = 56, 52.8%) reported clinically relevant depressive symptoms. A low self-rated medical care provision was significantly associated with higher depressive symptom load. In a regression analysis, higher perceived stress levels and low medical care provision significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Furthermore, 38.1% (n = 40) reported to feel relieved as a result of the restrictions and, due to previous experience in dealing with crisis, half of the participants (n = 53, 50.5%) stated they were better able to deal with the current situation than the general population. ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the importance of maintenance of medical care provision for people with mental disorders, as cancelled or postponed treatment appointments and perceived stress were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Regular treatment services showed to have a protective effect. In addition, a majority of people with mental disorders felt prepared for managing the COVID pandemic due to existing crisis management abilities. These resources should also be taken into account for further future treatment considerations.Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00022071).

Examination of Near Point of Convergence Scores in High-School Athletes: Implications for Identifying Binocular Vision Dysfunction After Concussion Injury.

To identify normative near point of convergence (NPC) data for healthy high-school-aged athletes (13-19 years old) and determine the percentage of individuals with NPC scores that fall outside the currently accepted clinical cutoff value of 5 cm. Another objective was to determine the relationship between sex, concussion history, and attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) with NPC scores, if any. Case series. High-school sports medicine clinic. Near point of convergence was assessed in 718 high-school student athletes (141 females and 577 males) with an average age of 15.96 ± 1.16 years. None. An accommodation convergence ruler was used to measure NPC. Near point of convergence scores were repeated a total of 3 times and the mean used for all statistical analyses. The NPC scores for all participants averaged 3.58 cm, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for the 3 repeated measurements was 0.956. Approximately 20% of mean NPC scores were above the accepted upper limit of 5 cm. Although a statistically significant effect for sex was identified, the difference between them was considered clinically insignificant. No relationship between NPC and history of concussion or ADD/ADHD was identified. Results indicate that in high-school-aged subjects, approximately 20% of individuals may have NPC values that fall outside the current critical cutoff value and may lead to incorrect diagnosis of ocular dysfunction. In addition, NPC does not seem to be affected by the history of concussion or a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD.