Disturbances In Children Research Articles

Association Between Hyperactivity Symptoms and Somatic Complaints: Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms in Childhood Trauma and Life Events Among Chinese Male Adolescents.

Background: Prior research has found that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – particularly hyperactivity symptoms – is associated with various somatic complaints. The present study further tests the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints in Chinese male adolescents and explores the underlying moderating and mediating mechanisms.Methods: Our sample included 1,586 males (age = 12–16) recruited as part of an epidemiological study of child and adolescent mental disorders from April to July, 2014. Hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints were assessed with Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) and Adolescent Life Events Scale (ASLEC) were used to assess exposure to childhood trauma and recent life events.Results: Adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms experienced more emotional abuse, physical abuse, life events, and reported more somatic complaints symptoms (p < 0.0083 or p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that hyperactivity, total childhood trauma score/emotional abuse and sexual abuse and ASLEC score significantly predicted somatic complaints (all p < 0.05). Emotional abuse and life events mediated the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Furthermore, childhood trauma moderated the path between hyperactivity symptoms and ASLEC in the moderation mediation model for predicting somatic complaints (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Hyperactivity symptoms had a significant impact on somatic complaints among Chinese male adolescents. Furthermore, childhood trauma and life events affected the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Interventions for somatic complaints in male adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms should thus consider history of childhood trauma and life events.

The Epidemiology of Pediatric Mental Disorders in Child Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya, Indonesia

Background: Mental disorders in children need special interventions to ensure better quality of life. The epidemiology of pediatric mental disorders is needed to prepare sufficient facilities for their treatment. Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology of pediatric mental disorders in child psychiatric outpatient clinic at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya in the year 2019 and 2020. Methods: This study is a descriptive observational study that uses the medical records of pediatric patients with mental disorders at the child psychiatric outpatient clinic at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital between January 2019 and December 2020. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: There were a total of 2773 patient visits to the child psychiatric outpatient clinic of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya between January 2019 and December 2020. Patient visits were 51.37% lower in 2020 compared to 2019. Autism (atypical and childhood autism) is the most frequent cases diagnosed in child psychiatric outpatient clinic of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in 2019 and 2020. Conclusions: There is a decrease of patient visits in child psychiatric outpatient clinic at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital starting from the second quarter of 2020. Most cases diagnosed in both 2019 and 2020 were Atypical autism, ADHD with predominant inattentive presentation, and Childhood autism.

Associations between maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment and mental and behavioral disorders in children

Importance Maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment is standard care to accelerate fetal maturation when birth before 34 weeks is imminent. Recently, expansion of the indications beyond 34 gestational weeks has been debated. However, data about long-term outcomes remain limited, especially among infants who after treatment exposure are born at term. Objective To study if antenatal corticosteroid treatment is associated with mental and behavioral disorders in children born at term (≥37 weeks 0 days’ gestation) and preterm ( Design, Setting, and Participants Population-based retrospective cohort study using nationwide registries of all singleton live births in Finland surviving until 1 year and a within-sibpair comparison among term siblings. Children were born between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2017, and followed up until December 31, 2017. Exposures Maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome was any childhood mental and behavioral disorder diagnosed in public specialized medical care settings. Results Of the 674 877 singleton children born in Finland during the study period, 670 097 were eligible for analysis. The median length of follow-up was 5.8 (interquartile-range, 3.1-8.7) years. Of the 14 868 (2.22%; 46.1% female) corticosteroid treatment–exposed children, 6730 (45.27%) were born at term and 8138 (54.74%) were born preterm; of the 655 229 (97.78%; 48.9% female) nonexposed children, 634 757 (96.88%) were born at term and 20 472 (3.12%) were born preterm. Among the 241 621 eligible term-born maternal sibpairs nested within this population, 4128 (1.71%) pairs were discordant for treatment exposure. Treatment exposure, compared with nonexposure, was significantly associated with higher risk of any mental and behavioral disorder in the entire cohort of children (12.01% vs 6.45%; absolute difference, 5.56% [95% CI, 5.04%-6.19%]; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.33 [95% CI, 1.26-1.41]), in term-born children (8.89% vs 6.31%; absolute difference, 2.58% [95% CI, 1.92%-3.29%]; HR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.36-1.69]), and when sibpairs discordant for treatment exposure were compared with sibpairs concordant for nonexposure (6.56% vs 4.17% for within-sibpair differences; absolute difference, 2.40% [95% CI, 1.67%-3.21%]; HR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.21-1.58]). In preterm-born children, the cumulative incidence rate of any mental and behavioral disorder was also significantly higher for the treatment-exposed compared with the nonexposed children, but the HR was not significant (14.59% vs 10.71%; absolute difference, 3.38% [95% CI, 2.95%-4.87%]; HR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.92-1.09]). Conclusions and Relevance In this population-based cohort study, exposure to maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment was significantly associated with mental and behavioral disorders in children. These findings may help inform decisions about maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment.

Mobile-based interventions for common mental disorders in youth: a systematic evaluation of pediatric health apps

BackgroundThe access to empirically-supported treatments for common mental disorders in children and adolescents is often limited. Mental health apps might extend service supplies, as they are deemed to be cost-efficient, scalable and appealing for youth. However, little is known about the quality of available apps. Therefore, we aimed to systematically evaluate current mobile-based interventions for pediatric anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).MethodsSystematic searches were conducted in Google Play Store and Apple App Store to identify relevant apps. To be eligible for inclusion, apps needed to be: (1) designed to target either anxiety, depression or PTSD in youth (0–18 years); (2) developed for children, adolescents or caregivers; (3) provided in English or German; (4) operative after download. The quality of eligible apps was assessed with two standardized rating systems (i.e., Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and ENLIGHT) independently by two reviewers.ResultsOverall, the searches revealed 3806 apps, with 15 mental health apps (0.39%) fulfilling our inclusion criteria. The mean overall scores suggested a moderate app quality (MARS: M = 3.59, SD = 0.50; ENLIGHT: M = 3.22, SD = 0.73). Moreover, only one app was evaluated in an RCT. The correlation of both rating scales was high (r = .936; p < .001), whereas no significant correlations were found between rating scales and user ratings (p > .05).ConclusionsOur results point to a rather poor overall app quality, and indicate an absence of scientific-driven development and lack of methodologically sound evaluation of apps. Thus, future high-quality research is required, both in terms of theoretically informed intervention development and assessment of mental health apps in RCTs. Furthermore, institutionalized best-practices that provide central information on different aspects of apps (e.g., effectiveness, safety, and data security) for patients, caregivers, stakeholders and mental health professionals are urgently needed.

Stationäre psychodynamische Therapie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit komplexer ADHS: Ergebnisse einer naturalistischen klinischen Studie

The Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental disorder in childhood and adolescence. However, it is a very heterogeneous disorder with subgroups of patients with mild symptoms and others with severe and complex impairments. Patients suffering from complex ADHD are usually characterized by multiple developmental disorders and impaired personality development. Due to the multimodal origin of the disorder, multimodal treatment approaches aimed at reducing the various deficits are usually indicated. The current study evaluated a multimodal inpatient psychodynamic treatment (PDT) for children and adolescents suffering from ADHD. 47 patients (age 9-17 years) were included in the study. Next to complex impairments (comorbid mental disorders, deficits regarding psychic structure, learning disorders and sensorimotor integration disorders), a high number of adverse childhood experiences (M = 11.71) was particularly remarkable in the sample. The PDT led to significant improvements regarding ADHD symptoms and general level of functioning. However, first symptom improvements were already evident at the end of the waiting period. For ten patients who participated in the follow-up assessment effects remained stable six months after treatment. Due to the high drop-out rate, however, the study results have to be regarded as preliminary.

A qualitative study exploring community pharmacists’ perspectives of child and adolescent mental healthcare

Community pharmacists are involved in the health delivery sector through the provision of services that result in improved patient outcomes and optimization of pharmaceutical care. With growing concern about increasing prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents, the expanded roles of pharmacists in providing mental health services may be essential. This study aimed to explore the perspective of community pharmacists in child and adolescent mental healthcare (CAMH) service provision. A qualitative study employing semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews was conducted among 25 community pharmacists in Accra to explore their perspectives and experiences in service provision for children and adolescents with mental illness. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed in line with the study objective. Emerging themes from the results are presented and supported by narratives from the community pharmacists. Most of the participants were female (n = 15, 60%), 32.32 ± 10 years old and have an average of 7.68 ± 9.4 years of professional practice. The m main themes identified from the findings were (1) Illness perception (2) Use of medicines (3) CAMH service provision practices and (4) Barriers to CAMH service provision. The participants' perception about child and adolescent mental illness was along the dimensions of causal beliefs. They also acknowledged the role of medications in symptom reduction and improved mental health outcomes while indicating their safety concerns about these medicines. Community pharmacists were involved in CAMH activities by providing medication-related support, triaging, and appropriate referrals. However, barriers such as inadequate training, lack of subsidies for psychotropic medications for community pharmacies and poor linkage with health providers and facilities, limit community pharmacists’ involvement in the provision of these services.CAMH service provision by community pharmacists could be facilitated by training, psychotropic medicines subsidy support and enhanced linkage with hospitals while highlighting greater recognition of these services at the community level to support the policy agenda of deinstitutionalizing mental healthcare.

Associations of household food insufficiency with childhood depression and anxiety: a nationwide cross-sectional study in the USA

ObjectiveHousehold food insufficiency (HFIS) is a major public health threat to children. Children may be particularly vulnerable to HFIS as a psychological stressor due to their rapid growth and accelerated...

Our children then and now: Changes in mental health symptoms among Singaporean children from 2003 to 2017

In recent years, there appears to be a rise in the diagnosis and treatment of child mental health disorders in many countries, including Singapore. While this increase may be alarming, it could possibly be attributed to factors such as changes in diagnostic criteria, improved screening in schools and primary health settings, changes in clinical practices, and an increase in help-seeking behaviour. Hence, an examination of community-level trends in mental health symptoms can elucidate how child psychopathology has changed over the years. This study aimed to investigate differences in symptoms of mental health between two cohorts of young Asian children aged six to eight living in Singapore. Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) scores from a sample in 2003 (Cohort 1; n = 524) were compared to another sample taken in 2017 (Cohort 2; n = 655). Cohort 2 had lower externalizing scale scores as compared to Cohort 1, but there were no significant differences in total problem scores or internalizing scale scores. Among the CBCL subscales, Cohort 2 had comparatively lower levels of aggressive behaviour and withdrawn/depressed symptoms, but higher levels of thought problems and somatic complaints as compared to Cohort 1. Our findings suggest that children in Singapore are progressing as well as, or even better than, children 14 years ago on most aspects of mental well-being.

Deficyty Teorii Umysłu w wybranych zaburzeniach psychicznych wieku rozwojowego

Teoria umysłu jest złożonym procesem poznawczym, dzięki któremu rozumiemy, że inni ludzie posiadają stany mentalne i emocjonalne takie jak przekonania, plany, pragnienia, nadzieje, intencje czy wiedzę, które różnią się od naszych własnych. Teoria umysłu umożliwiając rozumienie zachowań innych ludzi jest umiejętnością niezbędną do prawidłowego funkcjonowania społecznego. Początkowo cel badań nad teorią umysłu stanowiło opisanie i udokumentowanie rozwoju poznawczego dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym. Wraz z odkryciem, 30 lat temu, deficytów w teorii umysłu u pacjentów z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu, rozpoczęto badanie nieprawidłowości w funkcjonowaniu teorii umysłu u pacjentów z różnymi zaburzeniami. Wyniki badań wskazują na obecność deficytów w teorii umysłu u pacjentów z zaburzeniami psychicznymi wieku rozwojowego, takimi jak: zaburzenia ze spektrum autyzmu, zespół nadpobudliwości psychoruchowej, zaburzenia opozycyjno-buntownicze, zespół Tourette’a, alkoholowy zespół płodowy, zaburzenia nastroju, zaburzenia jedzenia czy zaburzenie obsesyjno-kompulsyjne. Niniejszy artykuł stanowi przegląd istotnych badań dotyczących nieprawidłowości w funkcjonowaniu teorii umysłu w poszczególnych zaburzeniach wieku rozwojowego i wybranych zaburzeniach psychicznych.

Preventive interventions in offspring of parents with mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Children with parents suffering from a psychiatric disorder are at higher risk for developing a mental disorder themselves. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials aims to evaluate the efficacy of psychosocial interventions to prevent negative mental health outcomes in the offspring of parents with mental illness. Eight electronic databases, grey literature and a journal hand-search identified 14 095 randomized controlled trials with no backward limit to June 2021. Outcomes in children included incidence of mental disorders (same or different from parental ones) and internalizing and externalizing symptoms at post-test, short-term and long-term follow-up. Relative risks and standardized mean differences (SMD) for symptom severity were generated using random-effect meta-analyses. Twenty trials were selected (pooled n = 2689 children). The main therapeutic approaches found were cognitive-behavioural therapy and psychoeducation. A significant effect of interventions on the incidence of mental disorders in children was found with a risk reduction of almost 50% [combined relative risk = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.84]. Interventions also had a small but significant effect on internalizing symptoms at post-test (SMD = -0.25, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.14) and short-term follow-up (-0.20, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.03). For externalizing symptoms, a decreasing slope was observed at post-test follow-up, without reaching the significance level (-0.11, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.04). Preventive interventions targeting the offspring of parents with mental disorders showed not only a significant reduction of the incidence of mental illness in children, but also a diminution of internalizing symptoms in the year following the intervention.

Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Uganda: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review was conducted to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among children and adults in Uganda. A comprehensive systematic search for relevant studies reporting prevalence of mental disorders in children or adults in Uganda was conducted inPubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web ofScience databases and grey literature sources. Study was eligible if, validated instrument based on the International Classification of Diseases or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria to assess a mental disorder was used. Eligible studies were critically appraised, prevalence data extracted and pooled using the random-effects model. Certainty in the pooled prevalence estimates was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. A total of 632 records were obtained, of which 26 articles from 24 studies conducted in Uganda were included in the review. Overall and with moderate level of certainty, the prevalence of any mental disorder in Uganda was 22.9% (95% C.I 11.0%-34.9%) in children and 24.2% (95% C.I 19.8%-28.6%) in adults. Prevalence of anxiety disorders was 14.4% (95% C.I 4.9%-24.0%) in children and 20.2% (95% C.I 14.5%-25.9%) in adults. The prevalence of current depressive disorders was 22.2% (95% C.I 9.2%-35.2%) in children and 21.2% (95% C.I 16.8%-25.6%) in adults. Eating disorder and psychotic syndrome disorder were also reported. Our findings suggest that depression and anxiety disorders are common mental disorders in Uganda, affecting approximately one in four persons. The findings provide essential insights for health service planning, clinical practice, and future epidemiological research in Uganda.

A world of inflammation: the need for ecological solutions that co-benefit people, place and planet.

The ecology of the early environment - including microbial diversity, nutrition, nature, social interactions and the totality of exposures in the wider "exposome" - have life-long implications for all aspects of health and resilience. In particular, the emergence of "microbiome science" provides new evidence for vital relationships between biodiversity and health at every level. New perspectives of ecological interdependence connect personal and planetary health; the human health crisis cannot be separated from the social, political and economic "ecosystems" otherwise driving dysbiosis (from its etymological root, "life in distress") at every level. Adverse changes in macroscale ecology - of food systems, lifestyle behaviours, socioeconomic disadvantage and environmental degradation - all impact the microbial systems sitting at the foundations of all ecosystems. In particular, changes in the function and composition of the human-associated microbiome have been implicated in the mounting global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), exacerbating inflammation and metabolic dysregulation through multiple pathways across the lifespan. This "dysbiotic drift" (adverse shifts in ecology at all scales) underscores the need for ecological approaches aimed at restoring symbiosis, balance and mutualism. While there is promise with supplement-based strategies (e.g. probiotics, prebiotics), it is essential to focus on upstream factors implicated in dysbiosis, including the health of wider environments, lifestyle, nature relatedness, and the social policies and practices which can facilitate or inhibit dysbiotic drift. This also calls for ambitious integrative approaches which not only define these interconnections, but also capitalize on them to create novel, collaborative and mutualistic solutions to our vast interdependent global challenges.

Increased incidence of childhood mental disorders following exposure to early life infection

Early life exposure to infectious diseases confers risk for adult psychiatric disorders but relatively few human population studies have examined associations with childhood mental disorder. Here we examined the effects of exposure to maternal infection during pregnancy, and child infectious diseases in early childhood (birth to age 4 years), in relation to first mental disorder diagnosis (age 5–13 years). The study sample comprised 71,841 children represented in a population cohort of children in New South Wales, Australia, followed from birth to early adolescence via linkage of administrative registers. Childhood exposure to infectious disease was determined during the prenatal period (i.e., maternal infection during gestation), and in early childhood (between birth and age 4 years) using the NSW Ministry of Health Admitted Patients data collection. Days to first diagnosis with a mental disorder was determined from recorded diagnoses between age 5–13 years in the NSW Ministry of Health’s Admitted Patients, Emergency Department and Mental Health Ambulatory data collections. While crude hazard ratios for both prenatal infection and childhood infection exposures indicated significantly earlier diagnosis with mental disorders associated with both of these risk factors, only childhood infection exposure was associated with higher adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for any diagnoses (aHR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.11–1.32), externalising disorders (aHR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.18–1.79) and developmental disorders (aHR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.49–2.22) when the effects of maternal and early childhood (age < 5 years) mental disorders were taken into account. Exposure to infectious diseases during early childhood, but not prenatal infection exposure, appears to be associated with earlier diagnosis of mental disorders in childhood.

Sleep and Coping in Early Childhood During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sleep disturbances in early childhood are associated with mood and anxiety disorders. Children also exhibit sleep disruptions, such as nighttime awakenings, nightmares, and difficulties falling asleep, in conjunction with adverse events and stress. Prior studies have examined independently the role of sleep on adaptive processing, as well as the effects of stress on sleep. However, how childhood sleep and children's adaptive behavior (i.e., coping strategies) bidirectionally interact is currently less known. Using a within-subjects design and actigraphy-measured sleep from 16 preschool-aged children (Mage = 56.4 months, SD = 10.8, range: 36–70 months), this study investigated how prior sleep patterns relate to children's coping during a potentially stressful event, the COVID-19 pandemic, and how prior coping skills may influence children's sleep during the pandemic. Children who woke earlier had greater negative expression both before and during the pandemic. During the pandemic, children slept longer and woke later on average compared to before the pandemic. Additionally, for children engaged in at-home learning, sleeping longer was associated with less negative expression. These findings highlight how sleep behaviors and coping strategies are related, and the stability of this relationship under stress.

PENYULUHAN DAN PELATIHAN MENJAGA KESEHATAN JIWA KELUARGA DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

The high number of mental disorders in children and adolescents can not only affect learning achievement at school, but can also have a negative impact on their self-harming. The purpose of this counseling and training is to increase the knowledge of the activity participants on the factors that can trigger mental disorders in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and improve skills in early detection of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Counseling and training held by online on Saturday, May 29, 2021. A total of 84 participants attended this activity consisting of principals, teachers, and parents of elementary and junior high school students of Tarsisius I, Jakarta. The results of the counseling and training showed an increase in the knowledge and skills of participants in the good pre-activity category from 50% to 86.9% after the activity. Increased knowledge and skills of identification and early detection of mental health disorders in children is needed for parents, caregivers, and teachers so that prevention and early intervention can be carried out before manifestations of mental health disorders arise in children. Efforts to maintain the mental health of children and adolescents require the participation of all parties around the child.

Prevalence of childhood mental disorders in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis to inform policymaking

QuestionMental disorders typically start in childhood and persist, causing high individual and collective burdens. To inform policymaking to address children’s mental health in high-income countries we aimed to identify updated...

Absence of Biological Mothers in Infancy in Children and Adolescents on Diagnosis of Mental Disorders at Ikeswar Outpatient Clinic, Prof. Dr. Soerojo Mental Hospital, Magelang

Introduction. Globally, psychopathological problems in children and adolescents will become one of five problems that cause disability, morbidity, and even mortality in the next 20 years. The quality of a child's early attachment relationship is closely related to future brain and personality development. Attachment disorders are associated with the development of psychopathology in childhood and adulthood. This study aims to describe mental disorders in children and adolescents due to mothers who leave their children in infancy on Java, especially around Magelang.&#x0D; Methods. The type of this research is cross-sectional, namely descriptive research. The sample in this study were all patients and their parents/guardians who came for a consultation to the Ikeswar Polyclinic, Mental Hospital Prof. Dr.Soerojo Mental Hospital started on February 18, 2019. The examination uses the mental status determined and guided by PPDGJ III (Guidelines for Classifying the Diagnosis of Mental Disorders).&#x0D; Results. Most of the research respondents was male, both in children with excellent or poor attachment. As much as 26.1% in the group with suitable attachment. The age of most respondents is ten years old. The fourth axis diagnosis regarding psychosocial and environmental problems that most respondents experienced was primary support group (family) problems&#x0D; Conclusion. The attachment of the biological mother to the child at the age of fewer than two years is essential for the emotional mentality of the child at the age afterward and there is no visible picture of the difference in diagnosing mental disorders in children with suitable attachment and poor attachment.

Inhibitory function and sustained attention following galvanic vestibular stimulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background and Aim: In recent years, galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been used as an effective method in rehabilitation and treat­ment of psychological disorders in children and adults. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of GVS on response inhibition and susta­ined attention in children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Seventeen children with ADHD, within the age range of 9−12 years, participated in this study. All participants were exposed to the go/no-go task. The behavioral outcomes and event-related potentials were recorded at baseline status, in sham condition, and after 20 minutes of exposure to GVS polarities, with an anode on the right mastoid region and a cathode on the left mastoid region. Results: The results showed that there was a sig­nificant difference in reducing the behavioral response of the commission error (p &lt; 0.05). But the reduction in behavioral responses to omission error and reaction time were not significant (p &gt; 0.05). However, regarding ERPs, reduced latencies and increased amplitudes of N2 and P3 waves were observed in GVS intervention, com­pared to the baseline and sham conditions (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The present results indicated the potential of GVS in improving of cognition func­tion in children with ADHD and could help us develop a new strategy for rehabilitation of res­ponse inhibition disorders in the future. Keywords: Galvanic vestibular stimulation; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; go/no-go task; event-related potentials; motor control

Predictors and Consequences of Pediatric Pain Symptom Trajectories: A 14-Year Longitudinal Study.

The present study had three primary objectives. First, pain trajectory from early childhood to early adolescence were modeled. Second, we examined how early childhood individual-, parental-, and family-level factors predict pain trajectories. Third, we evaluated consequences of pain trajectories in terms of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and substance use at age 16 years. The current paper is a secondary data analysis of a multisite longitudinal study. A total of 731 children and their families were followed from ages 2 to 16 years. A growth mixture model (GMM) was used to identify pain trajectories from ages 2 to 14 years. The GMM revealed three distinct pain trajectories: (1) Low Pain Symptom (n = 572); (2) Increasing Pain Symptom (n = 106); and (3) U-shaped Pain Symptom (n = 53). Children who experienced greater harsh parenting and sleep disturbances in early childhood were more likely to belong to the Increasing Pain Symptom group, and those with greater anxious-depressed symptoms at age 2 years were more likely to belong to the U-shaped Pain Symptom group than the Low Pain Symptom group. Additionally, those youth in the Increasing Pain Symptom group, compared to the Low and U-shaped Pain Symptom groups, showed elevated anxiety symptoms at age 16 years. Reducing harsh parenting and children's sleep disturbances could be important targets for preventing pediatric pain problems. Children with increasing pain symptoms may also benefit from learning adaptive pain management skills to lower the risk of developing anxiety problems in late adolescence.

Expert system for the diagnosis of hereditary metabolic diseases accompanied by mental disorders in children

Objective. To create a computer support system for pre-laboratory diagnosis of hereditary metabolic diseases with mental pathology. Material and methods. The authors used numerous literary sources to extract data for intelligent system. The initially formed database was supplemented by expert assessments for certain categories of age groups of children. Results. The experts determined the modality, confidence factors for the timing of manifestation and severity of signs for each clinical form at certain age periods. In the course of the study the authors built the models for a comprehensive assessment of signs and an integral assessment of diseases. The diagnostic algorithm is included in the database. It is used to compare the proposed hypotheses. The authors implemented a prototype of an expert diagnostic system based on a mucopolysaccharidosis model, which demonstrated 90% efficiency in a control sample of 20 patients.