Validation of an irritability measure in preschoolers in school-based and clinical Brazilian samples

Psychometric Evaluation of the Affective Reactivity Index Among Children and Adolescents in China: A Multi-Method Assessment Approach

The Affective Reactivity Index (ARI) is one of the most studied scales for assessing youth irritability, but little is known about its measurement performance in community populations. This study applied item response theory (IRT), network analysis, and classical test theory (CTT) to examine the psychometric properties of the ARI in a sample of n = 395 community-based children (Mage = 13.44, SD = 2.51) and n = 403 parents. In this sample, the ARI demonstrated good reliability, as well as convergent and concurrent validity. The one-factor structure was supported by both confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and network analysis. IRT analysis revealed that the ARI effectively distinguished between various levels of irritability within the community population. Network analysis identified "Loses temper easily,""Gets angry frequently," and "Often loses temper" are central aspects of irritability. The findings support the ARI as a brief, reliable, and valid instrument to assess irritability in community children and adolescents.

Evaluation instruments for executive functions in children and adolescents: an update of a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to update a systematic review of instruments for evaluating the executive functions (EFs) in a pediatric population to assess their measurement properties.

AREA COVERED

Studies describing evaluation tools of EFs were systematically searched on four electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science. To be included studies had to be on a population aged 0 to 18 were included. The individuals were either healthy or presented a neurodevelopment disorder. Risk of Bias was evaluated through the Consensus-based Standards to select the health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN).

EXPERT OPINION

The search was conducted on April 2023. Eighty-four papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study; the studies refer to 72 different evaluation tools of EFs. Most of the studies analyzed through a methodological quality analysis received an 'adequate' score. The instrument most mentioned was the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF2) in seven articles.

Efficacy and safety of methylphenidate and behavioural parent training for children aged 3-5 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and sham behavioural parent training-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

There is insufficient evidence to support treatment recommendations for preschool children aged 3-5 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of methylphenidate and behavioural parent training in reducing the frequency and severity of symptoms and improving global functioning in preschool children with ADHD.

METHODS

We did an 8-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and sham behavioural parent training-controlled clinical trial (the MAPPA Study) in children aged 3-5 years with moderate-to-severe ADHD. The trial was conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive immediate-release methylphenidate plus educational intervention (sham behavioural parent training), placebo medication plus behavioural parent training, or placebo medication plus educational intervention. Randomisation was done by an independent research manager by use of a permuted block randomisation procedure. Parents, teachers, study staff, and evaluators remained masked to group allocation. Methylphenidate and placebo were titrated to a maximum dose of 1·25 mg/kg per day administered orally twice daily, and behavioural parent training and the educational intervention were delivered weekly through 90 min sessions with both the child and parent, conducted by two psychologists or learning therapists. The primary outcomes were parents' and teachers' composite scores of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV scale (SNAP-IV-P/T), the Clinical Global Impressions Severity (CGI-S) scale, and the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02807870, and is now complete. All participants were invited to participate in an open observational follow-up, which is ongoing.

FINDINGS

Between Aug 21, 2016, and Oct 21, 2019, 153 children were randomly assigned to receive methylphenidate plus the educational intervention (n=51), placebo plus behavioural parent training (n=51), or placebo plus the educational intervention (n=51). Nine (6%) children discontinued treatment. All participants were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Children in the methylphenidate plus educational intervention group showed greater reductions in the SNAP-IV-P/T (endpoint mean difference -3·93 [95% CI -7·14 to -0·73], p=0·049; effect size -0·55 [95% CI -0·99 to -0·10]) and CGI-S scores (endpoint mean difference -0·49 [-0·82 to -0·17], p=0·0088; effect size -0·70 [-1·16 to -0·24]) and a greater increase in CGAS scores (endpoint mean difference 5·25 [95% CI 2·09 to 8·40], p=0·0036; effect size 0·80 [95% CI 0·32 to 1·28]) than children in the placebo plus educational intervention group. Children in the placebo plus behavioural parent training group did not have significantly different SNAP-IV-P/T scores (endpoint mean difference -3·18 [95% CI -6·38 to 0·02], p=0·077; effect size -0·44 [95% CI -0·89 to 0·003]) or CGI-S scores (endpoint mean difference -0·35 [-0·68 to -0·03], p=0·052; effect size -0·50 [-0·96 to -0·04]) compared to children in the placebo plus educational intervention group, but they had a greater increase in CGAS scores compared to the placebo plus educational intervention group (endpoint mean difference 3·69 [0·53 to 6·85], p=0·033; effect size 0·56 [0·08 to 1·04]). Children in the methylphenidate plus educational intervention versus placebo plus behavioural parent training group did not have statistically or clinically significant differences in primary outcomes. Children in the methylphenidate plus educational intervention group had more mild adverse events than the other two groups, and there were no between-group differences for moderate or severe adverse events.

INTERPRETATION

Methylphenidate was effective in reducing ADHD symptoms and improving functionality, and behavioural parent training was effective in improving functionality for preschool children with ADHD after 8 weeks of treatment.

FUNDING

São Paulo Research Foundation and Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.

Psychometric Properties of The Clinician Affective Reactivity Index for Assessment of Irritability in a Clinical Sample of Turkish Children and Adolescents

Background

No clinician-oriented scale exists to assess irritability in Turkey. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of The Clinician Affective Reactivity Index (CL-ARI).

Method

A total of 116 children and adolescents aged between 10 to 17 years (14.1 ± 2.1 years) were recruited from the psychiatric outpatient clinics. The participants completed a set of scales (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ], Affective Reactivity Index [ARI], Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, Version IV Scale). Diagnostic interviews were administered to confirm psychiatric diagnoses. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency. Discriminant validity was further tested using independent sample t-test and Receiver Operating Characteristic curves. Interrater reliability was tested using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Convergent validity was also tested using Pearson's correlation.

Results

Cronbach's alpha values of CL-ARI were 0.919 total score, 0.842 for the temper outbursts score, 0.861 for the irritable mood score, and 0.840 for the impairment score. ICC values for interrater reliability were high for the temper outbursts (r = 0.993), the irritable mood (r = 0.993), the impairment (r = 0.917), and the total score (r = 0.991). In the sample, there was a high level of correlation between the self-report ARI-child/parent form and the CL-ARI total and subscale scores. Likewise, moderate-high level of correlations were found between the behavioral SDQ child/parent forms and the CL-ARI total and subscale scores.

Conclusions

This is the Turkish validation of the CL-ARI, a dedicated interview and rating scale to assess irritability in the clinical sample. The results of this study suggest that the Turkish version of CL-ARI has adequate internal consistency and interrater reliability, and sufficient convergent and discriminant validity to be used in research settings.