Relationships of bullying involvement with intelligence, attention, and executive function in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Peer Victimization in Preadolescent Children With ADHD: A Controlled Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION

The present study examines bullying and its psychological consequences in school age children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHOD

The sample consisted of 34 children with ADHD and 36 children without ADHD. Continuity of bullying and victimization and their relationship with psychological problems and quality of life (QoL) were examined at two time points (T1 and T2) with one-year interval.

RESULTS

Children with ADHD experienced significantly more bullying and victimization than controls at both times. There was a marginally significant positive relationship between victimization scores at T1 and internalizing problems at T2 for the total sample. For both groups separately, victimization scores at T2 was significantly related with QoL and internalizing problems at T2.

DISCUSSION

School-age children with ADHD are at risk for bullying and victimization and their short-term negative effects. Timely interventions should be used to overcome the possible negative effects of peer victimization.

Associations of bullying perpetration and peer victimization subtypes with preadolescent's suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, neurocognition, and brain development

BACKGROUND

Although both peer victimization and bullying perpetration negatively impact preadolescents' development, the underlying neurobiological mechanism of this adverse relationship remains unclear. Besides, the specific psycho-cognitive patterns of different bullying subtypes also need further exploration, warranting large-scale studies on both general bullying and specific bullying subtypes.

METHODS

We adopted a retrospective methodology by utilizing the data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®) cohort collected between July 2018 and January 2021. Participants were preadolescents aged from 10 to 13 years. The main purpose of our study is to examine the associations of general and specific peer victimization/bullying perpetration with preadolescents' (1) suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury; (2) executive function and memory, including attention inhibition, processing speed, emotion working memory, and episodic memory; (3) brain structure abnormalities; and (4) brain network disturbances. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), and data acquisition site were included as covariates.

RESULTS

A total of 5819 participants aged from 10 to 13 years were included in this study. Higher risks of suicide ideation, suicide attempt, and non-suicidal self-injury were found to be associated with both bullying perpetration/peer victimization and their subtypes (i.e., overt, relational, and reputational). Meanwhile, poor episodic memory was shown to be associated with general victimization. As for perpetration, across all four tasks, significant positive associations of relational perpetration with executive function and episodic memory consistently manifested, yet opposite patterns were shown in overt perpetration. Notably, distinct psycho-cognitive patterns were shown among different subtypes. Additionally, victimization was associated with structural brain abnormalities in the bilateral paracentral and posterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, victimization was associated with brain network disturbances between default mode network and dorsal attention network, between default mode network and fronto-parietal network, and ventral attention network related connectivities, including default mode network, dorsal attention network, cingulo-opercular network, cingulo-parietal network, and sensorimotor hand network. Perpetration was also associated with brain network disturbances between the attention network and the sensorimotor hand network.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings offered new evidence for the literature landscape by emphasizing the associations of bullying experiences with preadolescents' clinical characteristics and cognitive functions, while distinctive psycho-cognitive patterns were shown among different subtypes. Additionally, there is evidence that these associations are related to neurocognitive brain networks involved in attention control and episodic retrieval. Given our findings, future interventions targeting ameliorating the deleterious effect of bullying experiences on preadolescents should consider their subtypes and utilize an ecosystemic approach involving all responsible parties.

Psychiatric Symptomatology is Associated with Polydrug Use and School Violence in Early Adolescence

This study investigated the association between psychiatric symptoms and polydrug use, school violence, and sociodemographic factors among Brazilian early adolescents. Using the baseline data collection from the effectiveness evaluation of PROERD, a school-based drug use prevention program, implemented in 30 public schools in São Paulo (n = 2316, M age = 12.3 years, 48.5% girls), multinomial logistic regressions were performed using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscales as response variables, and polydrug use, school violence, and sociodemographic characteristics as explanatory variables. In most SDQ subscales, girls and older students were more likely to have psychiatric symptoms. A positive association was identified between polydrug use and psychiatric symptoms. It was found that those who suffered and perpetrated physical violence had a greater likelihood of presenting psychiatric symptoms. Preventive interventions should consider the greater vulnerability related to the mental health of girls, older students, and those who suffer and perpetrate physical violence at school.

Effects of Twenty Hours of Neurofeedback-Based Neuropsychotherapy on the Executive Functions and Achievements among ADHD Children

Objective. Neurofeedback can reduce ADHD symptoms; however, current programs are relatively long, with fewer concerns about executive function (EF). The present study aimed to investigate a 20-hour combined computerized training neurofeedback program. Methods. Fifty ADHD children were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EXP) or the wait-list control group (CON), who took training after the post-tests. The EF measures were the Tower of London (ToL), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Comprehensive Nonverbal Attention Test (CNAT). SNAP-IV and questionnaires reported by parents constituted the behavioral measures. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and bootstrapping dependent t-tests were also used. Results. The F-tests revealed the interaction effects on ADHD symptoms and math scores. The EXP had increased the ToL scores, decreased the error and perseverative error rates on WCST, as well as the dysexecutive index on CNAT in the t-test. Conclusions. The training effects were related to behavioral symptoms and functions, EFs, and generalized achievement performances. We suggest that future studies could apply to different patients and examine the maintenance of the program.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF) characteristics of ADHD in a Korean psychiatric sample

Global rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have risen. In Korea, ADHD is associated with functional impairments and comorbidity with other psychological disorders. This study examined the correlates of ADHD in a psychiatric sample of Korean adolescents on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF). In a clinical sample of 247 adolescents, MMPI-A-RF scores from 46 patients diagnosed with ADHD were compared to the remainder of the clinical sample and to the Korean MMPI-A-RF norms. Results demonstrated significantly different scores for the ADHD group on scales indicating externalizing concerns and behavior dysfunction compared with the clinical group with other disorders and to a normative sample. Notable differences were also observed between clinical groups on scales reflecting interpersonal functioning. Relative risk ratio analyses demonstrated that an MMPI-A-RF T-score of 55 was generally most effective for predicting risk for an ADHD diagnosis in the clinical sample.

Peer Victimization and Poor Academic Outcomes in Adolescents With ADHD: What Individual Factors Predict Risk?

Objective: Examine individual factors associated with peer victimization (PV) in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to examine the association between PV and educational outcomes. Method: Participants were 121 adolescents (M_age = 13.62, SD = 1.03; 89% boys) with diagnosed ADHD. Using path analysis, we tested whether general adolescent factors (ADHD symptoms, comorbid autism spectrum disorder, cognitive and social functioning, and age) were associated with experiences of PV, and associations between PV and academic outcomes. Results: Deficits in working memory (WM) and peer relationship problems were weakly and moderately associated with PV, respectively. PV was in turn was associated with adolescents' attitudes about school, academic competence, and academic achievement. Conclusion: Adolescents with poor social skills and/or WM difficulties who have ADHD may be particularly vulnerable to being victimized by peers. Failure to identify and manage PV during early adolescence may be connected to poor educational outcomes.

Underlying Thinking Pattern Profiles Predict Parent-Reported Distress Responses in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Appreciating autistic neurodiversity is important when supporting autistic people who experience distress. Specifically, use of a profiling model can reveal less visible autistic differences, including strengths and abilities. Binary logistic regressions showed that the likelihood of extreme distress responses could be interpreted based on parent-reported autistic thinking pattern profiles for 140 young people. Perspective-taking (specifically empathy), extreme demand avoidance, and over-sensory sensitivity each contributed to the combined regression models. From the clinical perspective of autism as a multi-dimensional and inter-connected construct, there may be implications for planning support and building positive self-understanding. Individually tailored adjustments and support strategies may be identified more easily after delineating variables found across four core aspects: sensory coherence, flexible thinking, perspective-taking, and regulation.

Association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aggression subscales in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to identify the association between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) proneness and aggressive propensity in adolescents.

METHODS

A quantitative, large-scale, cross-sectional study was performed from April to May 2016 in Korea. The survey questionnaire included overall health behaviors, as well as scales for assessing ADHD proneness (revised short form of the Conners-Wells Adolescent Self-Report Scale; CASS[S]) and aggressive behavior (Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire; BPAQ) in adolescents. Area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curves was constructed to determine the cut-off value of total aggression score for discriminating ADHD proneness.

RESULTS

A total of 2,432 students participated in the survey, and 1,872 of them completed the questionnaire, indicating a response rate of 77.0%. Based on CASS(S), 33 (1.8%) subjects were classified as the ADHD group. AUROC curve analysis showed that a score of 68.5 points had higher sensitivity (83.3%) and specificity (69.4%) to discriminate ADHD proneness. ADHD proneness was significantly associated with higher aggression subdomain scores (physical, verbal, anger, and hostility). Especially, anger and hostility had a stronger relationship with ADHD proneness than did physical and verbal aggression. A multivariable analysis demonstrated that ADHD proneness was significantly related to body mass index in the top 10% of the study population, alcohol consumption, gastrointestinal trouble, daytime sleepiness, and total aggression score of 68.5 points or higher. Adolescents who had total aggression scores of 68.5 points or higher showed a 9.8-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.3-28.8) higher risk of ADHD compared with those who had scores less than 68.5 points.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that ADHD proneness was significantly associated with aggression propensity. In particular, anger and hostility were more closely associated with ADHD proneness than were other aggression subdomains.

Risk Factors for Bullying Victimization in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal disorder associated with numerous physical stigmata. Children with NF1 are at known risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), academic struggles, and significant social difficulties and adverse social outcomes, including bullying victimization. The primary aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with bullying victimization in children with NF1 to better inform clinicians regarding targets for prevention and clinical intervention. Children and a parent completed questionnaires assessing the bully victim status, and parents completed a measure of ADHD symptoms. Analyses were completed separately for parent-reported victimization of the child and the child’s self-report of victimization. According to the parent report, results suggest ADHD symptoms are a significant risk factor for these children being a target of bullying. Findings for academic disability were not conclusive, nor were findings related to having a parent with NF1. Findings indicate the need for further research into possible risk factors for social victimization in children with NF1. Results provide preliminary evidence that may guide clinicians working with children with NF1 and their parents in identifying higher-risk profiles that may warrant earlier and more intensive intervention to mitigate later risk for bullying victimization.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of resting-state fMRI in primary nocturnal enuresis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and nocturnal enuresis (NE) have similar symptoms, for example, inattention and dysfunction of working memory. We investigate disorder-specific abnormal activity by using the simple resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) metric amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). About 18 ADHD, NE, and typically developing children were examined by RS-fMRI and the child behavior checklist (CBCL) test. One-way ANOVA were used to compare the ALFF values of the three groups and post hoc was done. We conducted Pearson correlation analysis on the results of the three groups' scales with ALFF values at the discrepant brain areas after then. Significant group effect was found in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), cerebellum anterior lobe (CAL), and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). There was no shared abnormal region for ADHD and NE. Specially, ADHD showed increased ALFF in the bilateral MPFC, left ITG, and CAL and showed decreased ALFF in the left MTG. The children with NE showed increased ALFF in the left IPL. This study reveals the brain mechanism of cognitive changes on ADHD and NE, which provides neuroimaging basis for behavioral differences among different diseases.

A Deep Learning Approach for Missing Data Imputation of Rating Scales Assessing Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

A variety of tools and methods have been used to measure behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Missing data is a major concern in ADHD behavioral studies. This study used a deep learning method to impute missing data in ADHD rating scales and evaluated the ability of the imputed dataset (i.e., the imputed data replacing the original missing values) to distinguish youths with ADHD from youths without ADHD. The data were collected from 1220 youths, 799 of whom had an ADHD diagnosis, and 421 were typically developing (TD) youths without ADHD, recruited in Northern Taiwan. Participants were assessed using the Conners' Continuous Performance Test, the Chinese versions of the Conners' rating scale-revised: short form for parent and teacher reports, and the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale for parent and teacher reports. We used deep learning, with information from the original complete dataset (referred to as the reference dataset), to perform missing data imputation and generate an imputation order according to the imputed accuracy of each question. We evaluated the effectiveness of imputation using support vector machine to classify the ADHD and TD groups in the imputed dataset. The imputed dataset can classify ADHD vs. TD up to 89% accuracy, which did not differ from the classification accuracy (89%) using the reference dataset. Most of the behaviors related to oppositional behaviors rated by teachers and hyperactivity/impulsivity rated by both parents and teachers showed high discriminatory accuracy to distinguish ADHD from non-ADHD. Our findings support a deep learning solution for missing data imputation without introducing bias to the data.

Degree centrality of key brain regions of attention networks in children with primary nocturnal enuresis: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is always associated with attention impairment, some of which even could develop to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The mechanism of attention impairment is not clear, especially lacking of objective indicators of neuroimaging. The aim of this study is to explore the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in PNE children. A total of 26 PNE children and 26 age-matched normal controls were recruited. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on these children. Degree centrality (DC) of key brain regions of DAN (lFEF, rFEF, lIFG, rIFG, lIPS, rIPS), VAN (TPJ, VFC) and DMN (PCC, aMPFC, lAG, rAG) were calculated and compared between PNE and normal children. And the correlations between DC values and attention behavioral results were measured. Compared with normal controls, PNE children exhibited lower DC value in the right frontal eye field (rFEF), left inferior parietal sulcus (lIPS), right inferior parietal sulcus (rIPS), temporal parietal junction (TPJ) and left angular gyrus (lAG). The correct number of continuous performance test (CPT) in the PNE group was significantly lower than the normal controls and there was no significant difference in the reaction time between the two groups. The correlation between DC values and attention behavioral results in PNE showed that the DC values of PCC and lAG were negatively correlated with the correct number. This work indicates that the damage of the key brain regions of DAN, VAN and DMN might be the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in children with PNE.