Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder over-represented among HIV-seronegative boys with haemophilia? Preliminary results from our centre

The eTHINK Study: Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in Children with Hemophilia

OBJECTIVE

To assess cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive functions in children and young adults with hemophilia treated according to contemporary standards of care.

STUDY DESIGN

Evolving Treatment of Hemophilia's Impact on Neurodevelopment, Intelligence, and Other Cognitive Functions (eTHINK) is a US-based, prospective, cross-sectional, observational study (September 2018 through October 2019). Males (aged 1-21 years) with hemophilia A or B of any severity, with or without inhibitors, were eligible. Participants underwent neurologic examinations and age-appropriate neuropsychological assessments, including standardized tests/ratings scales of early development, cognition, emotional/behavioral adjustment, and adaptive skills.

RESULTS

Five hundred and fifty-one males with hemophilia A (n = 433) or B (n = 101) were enrolled. Performance on cognitive tests was largely comparable with that of age-matched US population norms, although participants in certain age groups (4-5 and 10-21 years) performed worse on measures of attention and processing speed. Furthermore, adolescents and young adults and those with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 64) reported more adaptive and executive function problems in daily life. Incidence of ADHD in adolescents (21%) was higher than expected in the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, males with hemophilia demonstrated age-appropriate intellectual, behavioral, and adaptive development. However, specific patient/age groups showed poorer attention performance and concerns for executive and adaptive development. This study established a normative data set for monitoring neurodevelopment in individuals with hemophilia and highlight the importance of screening and intervention for challenges with cognitive and adaptive skills in this population.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Evolving Treatment of Hemophilia's Impact on Neurodevelopment, Intelligence, and Other Cognitive Functions (eTHINK); NCT03660774; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03660774.

Psychological complications among patients with congenital bleeding disorders

Congenital bleeding disorders (CBDs), including inherited platelet function disorders and rare and common bleeding disorders, are a heterogeneous group of bleeding disorders with a wide range of clinical presentations, including psychological complications. Due to the chronic nature of CBDs, psychological complications are relatively common in these patients, which can affect treatment adherence, quality of life, and even the frequency of bleeding episodes. Chronic pain causes many psychological problems in CBDs, disrupting their social interactions, affecting all aspects of their lives, including their emotional functioning and behavior, and eventually leading to social exclusion. About one-third of patients with severe hemophilia A suffer from anxiety, 64% from depression, and 60% from other minor psychological complications such as withdrawal/depression, anxiety/depression, attention problems, and emotional problems. Anxiety, depression, and uncontrolled pain interfere with treatment adherence. For this reason, psychological interventions are needed in people with CBDs. Psychological interventions increase quality of life and treatment adherence. Therefore, early recognition of psychological complications in CBD patients may increase treatment adherence, leading to a reduction in bleeding episodes and thus an improvement in quality of life.

Mental health disorders in haemophilia: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis

AIM

Despite significant advances in morbidity and mortality outcomes, quality of life for people with haemophilia (PWH) remains compromised. Underrecognized and undertreated mental health disorders decrease quality of life; however, reports are inconsistent regarding the true prevalence of mental health disorders in PWH.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psychinfo and the Cochrane Library, and hand searched the journal Haemophilia to identify records and subsequently conducted a meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients with congenital haemophilia.

RESULTS

Our search strategy identified 2315 records, and 28 studies met eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated that PWH are at increased risk of depression (odds ratio (OR) 2.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64-3.68), anxiety (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.01-3.00), anxiety/depression (OR 2.60, 95% CI 2.35-2.87) and ADHD (OR 3.48, 95% CI 1.74-6.96). We found considerable heterogeneity among the studies likely due to differences in assessment tools, populations studied and year of publication. This suggests that standardized tools to diagnose mental health disorders in PWH are needed. Additionally, high-quality studies investigating mental health disorders in PWH are necessary to adequately document the prevalence of these disorders.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our meta-analysis suggests that the prevalence of depression, anxiety and ADHD across decades is significantly increased in PWH compared to the general population.

Neuropsychological function in children with hemophilia: A review of the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study and introduction of the current eTHINK study

Almost all of what is known about neurologic and cognitive development in hemophilia derives from the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study, conducted during an era when treatment regimens and comorbidities differed significantly from the current environment. Results suggested hemophilia and human immunodeficiency virus had independent effects, and hemophilia negatively impacts academic achievement, attention, and behavior. The introduction of prophylaxis treatment in hemophilia has created the need for re-evaluation of the effects of hemophilia on neurodevelopment and cognition. We outline the Evolving Treatment of Hemophilia's Impact on Neurodevelopment, Intelligence, and Other Cognitive Functions (NCT03660774) study, which aims to meet this need.