Shared and nonshared symptoms in youth-onset psychosis and ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Youth at Clinical High Risk of Psychosis

Background

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects a significant proportion of the population and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes including lower educational attainment, occupational challenges, increased substance use, and various mental health issues including psychosis. This study examined the demographic, clinical, cognitive, social cognitive, and functional differences between youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis with and without comorbid ADHD.

Method

Data were drawn from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Studies (NAPLS2 and NAPLS3), which included 764 and 710 CHR individuals, respectively. After applying exclusion criteria, the sample consisted of 271 CHR participants with ADHD and 1118 without ADHD. All data were examined cross-sectionally.

Results

Compared with the non-ADHD group, the ADHD group was younger, had more difficulties with role functioning, premorbid functioning, and social cognition, were more likely to have a comorbid learning disorder, and reported less depression symptoms. There were no significant differences between the groups on positive or negative psychotic symptoms, transition rates, adverse events, or other comorbid disorders including substance use and depression.

Discussion

Comorbid ADHD is likely not a significant predictor of transition to psychosis among CHR youth; however, those CHR with ADHD may experience symptoms at a younger age than those without and present with a distinct clinical profile.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Mental Health Conditions Associated with Increased Risk of Injury

Background

To describe the influence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid mental health conditions on the risk of selected injuries.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study design was employed using medical claim data from the Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA). Mental health conditions, injury, medication, and demographic data were extracted from claim files for ages 4-64, years 2016-2020.

Results

Approximately 51.8% of individuals with ADHD had one or more comorbid mental health conditions (anxiety [37.0%], depression [29.9%], autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [3.6%], bipolar disorder [4.7%], obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) [2.4%], schizophrenia [0.9%], and manic disorder [0.2%]). The rate of injury was 1.33 (95% CI 1.27–1.39) for ADHD only versus no ADHD and 1.62 (95% CI 1.56–1.68) for ADHD and comorbid mental health conditions versus no ADHD, after adjusting for age, sex, salary, and year. Cases with ADHD but no comorbid mental health conditions versus no ADHD were at increased risk of each of 12 types of injury. The increased risk was noticeably more pronounced for ADHD cases with one or more comorbid mental health conditions versus no ADHD. The greatest increased risk of injury was among ADHD cases with comorbid schizophrenia, followed by bipolar disorder and OCD. Comorbid autism disorder does not increase the risk of injury, but lowers it. Finally, the number of comorbid mental health conditions among ADHD cases was positively associated with increased injury rates (6% for one, 30% for two, 65% for three, and 129% for four).

Conclusions

ADHD is positively associated with an increased risk of injury. Comorbid mental health conditions further increase the risk of injury among those with ADHD.

Prescription Stimulants and the Risk of Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND

Stimulants can cause psychotic symptoms at high doses and with parenteral use, but it remains uncertain whether the clinical use of prescription stimulants (PS) at therapeutic doses precipitates psychosis or influences long-term psychosis risk. Although serious, psychosis is a relatively uncommon event that is difficult to detect in brief randomized controlled trials. There have been several large-scale observational studies of PS and psychosis risk, which have not been reviewed; therefore, we conducted a systematic review of observational studies of PS and psychosis risk in adults and children.

METHODS/PROCEDURE

We conducted a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The protocol was registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021243484). Eligible studies were longitudinal observational studies, either cohort or case-control, published in English that reported on PS exposure and risk of psychotic events or disorders. Risk of bias assessments were performed with the ROBINS-I instrument.

FINDINGS/RESULTS

There were 10,736 reports screened, and 8 were ultimately included (n = 232,567 patients): 4 retrospective cohort studies, 1 nested case-control study, 2 self-controlled case series, and 1 prospective cohort study. Exposure to methylphenidate (MPH) was more commonly studied than amphetamine (AMPH). In the 3 studies with lowest risk of bias, there was no effect of MPH exposure on psychosis risk, but there was evidence for increased risk with AMPH in 1 study.

IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that observational studies do not support a clear-cut effect of prescribed MPH on psychosis risk but that AMPH has been less well studied and may increase psychosis risk.

Caught in the ACTS: Defining Abstract Cognitive Task Sequences as an Independent Process

Cognitive neuroscience currently conflates the study of serial responses (e.g., delay match to sample/nonsample, n-back) with the study of sequential operations. In this essay, our goal is to define and disentangle the latter, termed abstract cognitive task sequences (ACTS). Existing literatures address tasks requiring serial events, including procedural learning of implicit motor responses, statistical learning of predictive relationships, and judgments of attributes. These findings do not describe the behavior and underlying mechanism required to succeed at remembering to evaluate color, then shape; or to multiply, then add. A new literature is needed to characterize these sorts of second-order cognitive demands of studying a sequence of operations. Our second goal is to characterize gaps in knowledge related to ACTS that merit further investigation. In the following sections, we define more precisely what we mean by ACTS and suggest research questions' further investigation would be positioned to address.

[ADHD during childhood and subsequent psychotic disorder: A link?]

OBJECTIVES

Attention Deficit with/without Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with frequent comorbid psychiatric disorders. Several studies have underlined the increased risk of developing a psychotic disorder subsequent to a childhood ADHD. The aim of our review is not only to clarify this association and the related physiopathology but also to understand the consequences for therapeutic management.

METHODS

We processed a narrative review of available literature based on a research of the PubMed database. Articles related to ADHD and psychotic disorder on a genetical, clinical or biological level were selected by one of the authors.

RESULTS

ADHD and psychotic disorders share neonatal, environmental, and genetic risk factors. On a neurobiological level, both disorders are concerned by a dysfunction of the dopaminergic system with an abnormal regulation of dopaminergic neurons' phasic and tonic activity. Our review aims to explain the « dynamic » model of dopaminergic dysfunctions and propose some guidance for pharmacological treatment of ADHD, with or without psychotic disorder. This model offers a better understanding of why methylphenidate is not associated to an increased risk of psychotic disorder and could act as a protective factor. Association between ADHD and psychotic disorders could be explained by some comorbidities such as substance use disorders which are frequently associated with both conditions and could act as mediator in the genesis of psychotic disorders following ADHD during childhood. Our review also focuses on an epidemiological bias that could be found in some studies such as possible diagnostic errors, as some non-specific clinical signs could be found in both late diagnosed ADHD and in "at risk mental state" of psychosis.

CONCLUSION

ADHD and psychotic disorders share common risk factors, neurobiological pathways and clinical symptoms. Perspectives for future studies are proposed considering a dimensional aspect of psychiatric disorders using, for example, Research Domain Criteria and exploring the link between the two conditions.

Terminology and assessment tools of psychosis: A systematic narrative review

AIM

Phenomena within the psychosis continuum that varies in frequency/duration/intensity have been increasingly identified. Different terms describe these phenomena, however there is no standardization within the terminology. This review evaluated the definitions and assessment tools of seven terms - (i) 'psychotic experiences'; (ii) 'psychotic-like experiences'; (iii) 'psychotic-like symptoms'; (iv) 'attenuated psychotic symptoms'; (v) 'prodromal psychotic symptoms'; (vi) 'psychotic symptomatology'; and (vii) 'psychotic symptoms'.

METHODS

EMBASE, MEDLINE, and CINAHL were searched during February-March 2019. Inclusion criteria included 1989-2019, full text, human, and English. Papers with no explicit definition or assessment tool, duplicates, conference abstracts, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or no access were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 2238 papers were identified and of these, 627 were included. Definitions and assessment tools varied, but some trends were found. Psychotic experiences and psychotic-like experiences were transient and mild, found in the general population and those at-risk. Psychotic-like symptoms were subthreshold and among at-risk populations and non-psychotic mental disorders. Attenuated psychotic symptoms were subthreshold but associated with distress, risk, and help-seeking. Prodromal psychotic symptoms referred to the prodrome of psychotic disorders. Psychotic symptomatology included delusions and hallucinations within psychotic disorders. Psychotic symptoms was the broadest term, encompassing a range of populations but most commonly involving hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorganization.

DISCUSSION

A model for conceptualizing the required terms is proposed and future directions needed to advance this field of research are discussed.

Auditory sensory gating in young adolescents with early-onset psychosis: a comparison with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Numerous studies have demonstrated impaired sensory gating in schizophrenia and this impairment has been proposed as a candidate biomarker for the disorder. The typical age of onset for schizophrenia is early adulthood, however a sizable group of patients present with psychotic symptoms before the age of 18, commonly referred to as early-onset psychosis (EOP). How an earlier onset influences sensory gating is currently unknown. Impaired sensory gating may not be specific to psychosis, but rather a shared disturbance of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, the current study investigated P50 suppression in young adolescents (12-17 years old) with either EOP (N = 55) or ADHD (N = 28) and age and gender matched healthy controls (HC) (N = 71). In addition to P50 suppression, N100 and P200 suppression data were also analyzed. No significant group differences in either raw mean P50 amplitude or mean P50 gating ratios were observed between EOP, ADHD, and HC. Additionally, we observed no P50 suppression deficit in those EOP patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 39). Similarly, we observed no differences in N100 or P200 between the three groups. Healthy levels of P50 suppression were found in both patient groups. The results are in line with some previous studies showing healthy levels of P50 suppression in the early phases of schizophrenia. Our findings do not support P50 sensory gating as a valid biomarker for EOP or ADHD.

Symptomatic psychosis risk and physiological fluctuation in functional MRI data

BACKGROUND

Physiological brain pulsations have been shown to play a critical role in maintaining interstitial homeostasis in the glymphatic brain clearance mechanism. We investigated whether psychotic symptomatology is related to the physiological variation of the human brain using fMRI.

METHODS

The participants (N = 277) were from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. Psychotic symptoms were evaluated with the Positive Symptoms Scale of the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS). We used the coefficient of variation of BOLD signal (CV_BOLD) as a proxy for physiological brain pulsatility. The CV_BOLD-analyses were controlled for motion, age, sex, and educational level. The results were also compared with fMRI and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) meta-analyses of schizophrenia patients (data from the Brainmap database).

RESULTS

At the global level, participants with psychotic-like symptoms had higher CV_BOLD in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and white matter (WM), when compared to participants with no psychotic symptoms. Voxel-wise analyses revealed that CV_BOLD was increased, especially in periventricular white matter, basal ganglia, cerebellum and parts of the cortical structures. Those brain regions, which included alterations of physiological fluctuation in symptomatic psychosis risk, overlapped <6% with the regions that were found to be affected in the meta-analyses of previous fMRI and VBM studies in schizophrenia patients. Motion did not vary as a function of SIPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychotic-like symptoms were associated with elevated CV_BOLD in a variety of brain regions. The CV_BOLD findings may produce new information about cerebral physiological fluctuations that have been out of reach in previous fMRI and VBM studies.

The relationship of genetic susceptibilities for psychosis with physiological fluctuation in functional MRI data

Previously, schizophrenia is found to be related to the variability of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal in the white matter. However, evidence about the relationship between genetic vulnerabilities and physiological fluctuation in the brain is lacking. We investigated whether familial risk for psychosis (FR) and polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS) are linked with physiological fluctuation in fMRI data. We used data from the Oulu Brain and Mind study (n = 140-149, aged 20-24 years) that is a substudy of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. The participants underwent a resting-state fMRI scan. Coefficient of variation (CV) of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal (CVBOLD) was used as a proxy of physiological fluctuation in the brain. Familial risk was defined to be present if at least one parent had been diagnosed with psychosis previously. PRS was computed based on the results of the prior GWAS by the Schizophrenia Working Group. FR or PRS were not associated with CVBOLD in cerebrospinal fluid, white matter, or grey matter. The findings did not provide evidence for the previous suggestions that genetic vulnerabilities for schizophrenia become apparent in alterations of the variation of the BOLD signal in the brain.

Can neuropsychological testing facilitate differential diagnosis between at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

Background:

Patients with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis and patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have many overlapping signs and symptoms and hence can be difficult to differentiate clinically. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the differential diagnosis between ARMS and adult ADHD could be improved by neuropsychological testing.

Methods:

168 ARMS patients, 123 adult ADHD patients and 109 healthy controls (HC) were recruited via specialized clinics of the University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital. Sustained attention and impulsivity were tested with the Continuous Performance Test, verbal learning and memory with the California Verbal Learning Test, and problem solving abilities with the Tower of Hanoi Task. Group differences in neuropsychological performance were analyzed using generalized linear models. Furthermore, to investigate whether adult ADHD and ARMS can be correctly classified based on the pattern of cognitive deficits, machine learning (i.e. random forests) was applied.

Results:

Compared to HC, both patient groups showed deficits in attention and impulsivity and verbal learning and memory. However, in adult ADHD patients the deficits were comparatively larger. Accordingly, a machine learning model predicted group membership based on the individual neurocognitive performance profile with good accuracy (AUC = 0.82).

Conclusions:

Our results are in line with current meta-analyses reporting that impairments in the domains of attention and verbal learning are of medium effect size in adult ADHD and of small effect size in ARMS patients and suggest that measures of these domains can be exploited to improve the differential diagnosis between adult ADHD and ARMS patients.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder shares copy number variant risk with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly heritable common childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder. Some rare copy number variations (CNVs) affect multiple neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia and ADHD. The aim of this study is to determine to what extent ADHD shares high risk CNV alleles with schizophrenia and ASD. We compiled 19 neuropsychiatric CNVs and test 14, with sufficient power, for association with ADHD in Icelandic and Norwegian samples. Eight associate with ADHD; deletions at 2p16.3 (NRXN1), 15q11.2, 15q13.3 (BP4 & BP4.5-BP5) and 22q11.21, and duplications at 1q21.1 distal, 16p11.2 proximal, 16p13.11 and 22q11.21. Six of the CNVs have not been associated with ADHD before. As a group, the 19 CNVs associate with ADHD (OR = 2.43, P = 1.6 × 10-21), even when comorbid ASD and schizophrenia are excluded from the sample. These results highlight the pleiotropic effect of the neuropsychiatric CNVs and add evidence for ADHD, ASD and schizophrenia being related neurodevelopmental disorders rather than distinct entities.

Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the frequency of childhood and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a cohort of patients with schizophrenia (SCZ).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted to evaluate existing evidence. Two self-report questionnaires were used to investigate adult ADHD and childhood ADHD symptoms in 126 patients with ICD-10 diagnoses of SCZ.

RESULTS

Five studies were included in the systematic review, with the prevalence of childhood and adult ADHD in SCZ subjects ranging between 17-57% and 10-47% respectively. Within our cohort, 47% of patients reported positive screening for ADHD symptoms either in childhood or adulthood. 23% reported symptomatology consistent with both childhood and adult ADHD.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate a greater presence of ADHD symptomatology in SCZ compared to that reported for ADHD in the general population. Our findings highlight the importance of improved clinical assessment and treatment considerations in a subgroup of patients with SCZ.

Overlapping and disease specific trait, response, and reflection impulsivity in adolescents with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are developmental disorders with shared clinical characteristics such as cognitive impairments and impulsivity. Impulsivity is a core feature of ADHD and an important factor in aggression, violence, and substance use in schizophrenia. Based on the hypothesis that schizophrenia and ADHD represent a continuum of neurodevelopmental impairments, the aim was to identify overlapping and disease specific forms of impulsivity.

METHODS

Adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age were assessed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-aged Children - Present and Lifetime Version. Subjects with early-onset, first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders (EOS) (N = 29) or ADHD (N = 29) and healthy controls (N = 45) were compared on two performance measures (Information Sampling Task, Stop Signal Task) and a subjective personality trait measure of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11 (BIS-11)).

RESULTS

Significantly increased reflection impulsivity was observed in ADHD but not in the EOS group. No significant response inhibition deficits (stop signal reaction time) were found in the two clinical groups. The ADHD and the EOS group showed significantly increased motor, attentional, and non-planning subtraits of impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired pre-decisional information gathering appeared to be specific for ADHD while the information gathering was not significantly reduced in subjects with EOS. Neither the ADHD nor EOS group showed impaired response inhibition but shared increased personality subtraits of attentional, non-planning, and motor impulsivity although the latter was significantly more pronounced in ADHD. These increased subtraits of impulsivity may reflect diagnostic non-specific neurodevelopmental impairments in ADHD and EOS in adolescence.

Associations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity and other childhood disorders with psychotic experiences and disorders in adolescence

Prodromal symptoms of psychosis are associated with an increased risk of transition, functional impairment, poor mental health, and unfavorable developmental prospects. Existing interventions targeting the prodrome are non-satisfactory. It may thus be more promising to attempt to identify risk factors in the premorbid phase preceding the prodrome to increase the chances of successful preventive approaches. Here, we investigate whether childhood mental disorders in general and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) specifically indicate a risk for subsequent psychotic experiences and disorders. We used a sample from the prospective Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N = 5528). When the participants were 7 years old, mental disorders were assigned according to the DSM-IV. In standardized interviews, psychotic experiences were assessed at age 12 and psychotic disorders at age 18. We examined the associations of each of the childhood mental disorders alone and in combination with psychotic experiences at age 12 and psychotic disorders at age 18 using logistic regression. Compared to participants without a disorder, participants with a mental disorder had a higher risk of psychotic experiences at age 12 (OR 1.70, 95 % CI 1.28-2.27) and of psychotic disorders at age 18 (OR 2.31, 95 % CI 1.03-5.15). Particularly, the ADHD combined subtype at age 7 was strongly associated with psychotic experiences at age 12 (OR 3.26, 95 % CI 1.74-6.10). As expected, childhood mental disorders are risk indicators of psychotic experiences and disorders. To improve prevention, health care professionals need to screen for psychotic experiences in children with non-psychotic disorders.

Symptom Overlap and Screening for Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Psychosis Risk in Help-Seeking Psychiatric Patients

Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and psychosis risk share features which might represent an early vulnerability marker for schizophrenia. Early detection of individuals with this symptomatic overlap is relevant and may assist clinicians in their decision making for diagnosis and treatment. This study sought to analyze the capability of different instruments in the screening of patients for ADHD symptoms or at psychosis risk, assess their classification accuracy, and describe the extent of symptoms overlap between them. 243 adult patients completed one instrument screening for ADHD and two instruments screening for psychosis risk symptoms [Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Symptom Checklist (ASRS-v1.1); Prodromal Questionnaire Brief Version (PQ-16); Self-Screen Prodrome (SPro)]. The ability of these instruments to distinguish between the symptomaticity of these patients appears modest. The most satisfactory scale to identify subjects at psychosis risk was SPro with its subscale psychosis risk. ASRS-v1.1 showed good reliability in assessing individuals as not having ADHD symptoms and had higher probability to achieve its own and the cut-off of another questionnaire. Subjects having symptoms of psychosis risk and ADHD showed elevated symptomatology. Reliable instruments capable of separating ADHD symptoms from those of psychosis risk are needed to better identify the symptomatic overlap of this two conditions.

Prescription stimulant use is associated with earlier onset of psychosis

A childhood history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in psychotic disorders, yet prescription stimulants may interact adversely with the physiology of these disorders. Specifically, exposure to stimulants leads to long-term increases in dopamine release. We therefore hypothesized that individuals with psychotic disorders previously exposed to prescription stimulants will have an earlier onset of psychosis. Age of onset of psychosis (AOP) was compared in individuals with and without prior exposure to prescription stimulants while controlling for potential confounding factors. In a sample of 205 patients recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit, 40% (n = 82) reported use of stimulants prior to the onset of psychosis. Most participants were prescribed stimulants during childhood or adolescence for a diagnosis of ADHD. AOP was significantly earlier in those exposed to stimulants (20.5 vs. 24.6 years stimulants vs. no stimulants, p < 0.001). After controlling for gender, IQ, educational attainment, lifetime history of a cannabis use disorder or other drugs of abuse, and family history of a first-degree relative with psychosis, the association between stimulant exposure and earlier AOP remained significant. There was a significant gender × stimulant interaction with a greater reduction in AOP for females, whereas the smaller effect of stimulant use on AOP in males did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, individuals with psychotic disorders exposed to prescription stimulants had an earlier onset of psychosis, and this relationship did not appear to be mediated by IQ or cannabis.

Raising attention to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two psychiatric disorders with a negative impact on quality of life of individuals affected. Although they are classified into distinct disorders categories, attentional dysfunction is considered as a core feature in both conditions, either at the clinical then pathophysiological level. Beyond the obvious clinical overlap between these disorders, the Research Domain Criteria approach might offer an interesting perspective for disentangling common circuits underpinning both disorders. Hence, we review evidences regarding the overlap between schizophrenia and ADHD, at the clinical level, and at the level of underlying brain mechanisms. The evidence regarding the influence of environmental risk factors in the emergence of both disorders, and their developmental trajectories is also reviewed. Among these, we will try to elucidate the complex relationship between stimulants use and psychotic symptoms, discussing the potential role of ADHD medication in inducing psychosis or in exacerbating it. We aim that, taken together, these findings may promote further investigation with important implications both for clinicians and research. In fact, considering the amounting evidence on the overlap between schizophrenia and ADHD, the delineation of their boundaries might help in the decision for diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, it may help to promote interventions focused on the prevention of both schizophrenia and ADHD, by the reduction of recognized environmental risk factors.

Cortical thickness and inattention/hyperactivity symptoms in young children: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

While many neuroimaging studies have investigated the neurobiological basis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), few have studied the neurobiology of attention problems in the general population. The ability to pay attention falls along a continuum within the population, with children with ADHD at one extreme of the spectrum and, therefore, a dimensional perspective of evaluating attention problems has an added value to the existing literature. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between cortical thickness and inattention and hyperactivity symptoms in a large population of young children.

METHOD

This study is embedded within the Generation R Study and includes 6- to 8-year-old children (n = 444) with parent-reported attention and hyperactivity measures and high-resolution structural imaging data. We investigated the relationship between cortical thickness across the entire brain and the Child Behavior Checklist Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Problems score.

RESULTS

We found that greater attention problems and hyperactivity were associated with a thinner right and left postcentral gyrus. When correcting for potential confounding factors and multiple testing, these associations remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large, population-based sample we showed that young (6- to 8-year-old) children who show more attention problems and hyperactivity have a thinner cortex in the region of the right and left postcentral gyrus. The postcentral gyrus, being the primary somatosensory cortex, reaches its peak growth early in development. Therefore, the thinner cortex in this region may reflect either a deviation in cortical maturation or a failure to reach the same peak cortical thickness compared with children without attention or hyperactivity problems.

Memory-guided saccades in youth-onset psychosis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

AIM

Working memory deficits have been shown to be present in children and adolescents with schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Considering the differences in clinical characteristics between these disorders, it was the goal of this study to assess differences in the specific components of working memory in children and adolescents with psychosis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

METHODS

Children and adolescents (age range 8-20 years) with either a non-affective psychotic disorder (n = 25), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 33) and controls (n = 58) were administered an oculomotor delayed-response task using both a recall and a control condition. Memory-guided saccades were measured during delay periods of 2, 8 and 20 s.

RESULTS

Although both clinical groups were less accurate than controls, there was no evidence of a disproportionate impairment in recall. In addition, there was no evidence of a delay-dependent impairment in psychosis; however, there was a delay-dependent impairment in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when corrective saccades were included. Speed of information processing was correlated with distance errors in psychosis, suggesting that speed of encoding the stimulus location may have constrained the accuracy of the saccades.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support impairments during encoding in the psychosis group and a delay-dependent deficit in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder group.

Neuropsychological functioning in childhood-onset psychosis and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and childhood-onset psychosis (COP) are chronic, heterogeneous disorders with symptoms that frequently co-occur, but the etiology of their comorbidity is unknown. Studies of each disorder indicate that both ADHD and COP are associated with a range of neuropsychological weaknesses, but few neuropsychological studies have directly compared groups with ADHD and COP.

METHODS

Groups with ADHD only (32 F, 48 M), COP only (5 F, 5 M), ADHD + COP (9 F, 21 M), and a control group with neither disorder (25 F, 44 M) completed a neuropsychological battery that included measures of verbal working memory, response inhibition, response speed and variability, and selective attention.

RESULTS

All three clinical groups exhibited significantly lower performance versus the control group on all neuropsychological measures, whereas the only significant difference between the clinical groups was a significantly larger weakness in verbal working memory in the groups with COP.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequent co-occurrence between COP and ADHD may reflect shared neuropsychological weaknesses that are most pronounced on measures of working memory and response variability.

Detecting and treating adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a patient with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia poses a considerable diagnostic challenge due to significant symptom overlap, and represents a highly debilitating condition for the patient. This case report aims to present the history of a 19-year-old patient suffering from these two diagnostic entities, and thereby seeks to elucidate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this condition.

METHODS

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition) criteria for ADHD and schizophrenia were used to establish clinical diagnoses. Furthermore, an in-depth clinical interview with the patient's mother was carried out. Finally, a clinical interview was conducted with the patient and the Wender Utah Rating Scale was applied to assess ADHD symptoms retrospectively.

RESULTS

Outcomes of the mentioned diagnostic approaches confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD in the patient suffering from schizophrenia. As amphetamines would be contraindicated in the described patient, atomoxetine, a drug approved for the treatment of ADHD due to its efficacy as a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, was chosen. Following a 6-week interval after treatment initiation, a clinical re-evaluation was carried out, which showed an improvement of symptoms according to the International Classification of Diseases (tenth revision) criteria.

CONCLUSION

The present case report indicates that atomoxetine may be effective in treating symptoms of ADHD in patients with schizophrenia, without increasing psychotic symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Disturbances in reality testing as markers of risk in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: a systematic review from a developmental psychopathology perspective

OBJECTIVES

This comprehensive review examined the prevalence and progression of disturbances in reality testing (DRT), defined as psychotic symptoms, cognitive disruptions, and thought problems, in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (O-BD). Our approach was grounded in a developmental psychopathology perspective and considered a broader phenotype of risk within the bipolar-schizophrenia spectrum as measured by categorical and dimensional assessments of DRT in high-risk youth.

METHODS

Relevant studies were identified from numerous sources (e.g., PubMed, reference sections, and colleagues). Inclusion criteria were: (i) family risk studies published between 1975 and 2012 in which O-BD were contrasted with a comparison group (e.g., offspring of parents who had other psychiatric disorders or were healthy) on DRT outcomes and (ii) results reported for categorical or dimensional assessments of DRT (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic symptoms, cluster A personality traits, or thought problems), yielding a total of 23 studies.

RESULTS

Three key findings emerged: (i) categorical approaches of DRT in O-BD produced low incidence base rates and almost no evidence of significant differences in DRT between O-BD and comparison groups, whereas (ii) many studies using dimensional assessments of DRT yielded significant group differences in DRT. Furthermore, (iii) preliminary evidence from dimensional measures suggested that the developmental progression of DRT in O-BD might represent a prodrome of severe psychological impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary but promising evidence suggests that DRT is a probable marker of risk for future impairment in O-BD. Methodological strengths and weaknesses, the psychometric properties of primary DRT constructs, and future directions for developmental and longitudinal research with O-BD are discussed.

The development of thought problems: a longitudinal family risk study of offspring of bipolar, unipolar, and well parents

There is growing evidence that many offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (BD) will develop moderate to severe forms of psychopathology during childhood and adolescence, including thought problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the developmental progression of thought problems within the context of a family risk study. Repeated assessments of thought problems, spanning approximately 15 years, were conducted in offspring (N = 192 from 98 families) of parents diagnosed with BD (O-BD), unipolar depression (O-UNI), or no significant psychiatric or medical problems (O-WELL). Survival analysis showed that the O-BD group had the greatest estimated probability of developing thought problems over time, followed by O-UNI, and then O-WELL and O-BD exhibiting higher levels of persistence than O-WELL. Parent-reported thought problems in childhood and adolescence predicted a range of problems in young adulthood. Disturbances in reality testing and other atypical behaviors are likely to disrupt progression through important developmental periods and to associate with poor outcomes. These findings are likely relevant to preventing the occurrence or progression of problems in offspring of bipolar parents. The study of thought problems across development represents an important area of continued research in children at risk for development of affective disorders.

Cigarette smoking and cannabis use are equally strongly associated with psychotic-like experiences: a cross-sectional study in 1929 young adults

BACKGROUND

Cannabis use is associated with increased risk for psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and psychotic disorders. It remains unclear whether this relationship is causal or due to confounding.

METHOD

A total of 1929 young adults aged 18-30 years participated in a nationwide internet-based survey in The Netherlands and gave information on demographics, substance use and parental psychiatric illness and completed the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE).

RESULTS

Cigarette smoking and cannabis use were equally strongly associated with the frequency of PLEs in a fully adjusted model (β = 0.098 and 0.079 respectively, p < 0.05). Cannabis use was associated with distress from PLEs in a model adjusted for an elaborate set of confounders excluding smoking (β = 0.082, p < 0.05). However, when cigarette smoking was included in the model, cannabis use was not a significant predictor of distress from PLEs. Cigarette smoking remained associated with distress from PLEs in a fully adjusted model (β = 0.107, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking is an equally strong independent predictor of frequency of PLEs as monthly cannabis use. Our results suggest that the association between moderate cannabis use and PLEs is confounded by cigarette smoking.

Brain connectivity during verbal working memory in children and adolescents

Working memory (WkM) is a fundamental cognitive process that serves as a building block for higher order cognitive functions. While studies have shown that children and adolescents utilize similar brain regions during verbal WkM, there have been few studies that evaluate the developmental differences in brain connectivity. Our goal was to study the development of brain connectivity related to verbal WkM in typically developing children and adolescents. Thirty-five healthy children and adolescents, divided into three groups: 9-12 (children), 13-16 (young adolescents), and 17-19 (older adolescents) years, were included in this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. The verbal WkM task involved a modified Sternberg item recognition paradigm using three different loads. Brain connectivity analysis was performed using independent component analyses and regressing the components with the design matrix to determine task-related networks. Connectivity analyses resulted in four components associated solely with encoding, four solely with recognition and two with both. Two networks demonstrated age-related differences with respect to load, (1) the left motor area and right cerebellum, and 2) the left prefrontal cortex, left parietal lobe, and right cerebellum. Post hoc analyses revealed that the first network showed significant effects of age between children and the two older groups. There was increasing connectivity with increasing load for adolescents. The second network demonstrated age-related differences between children and older adolescents. Children have higher task-related connectivity at lower loads, but they tend to equalize with the adolescents with higher loads. Finally, a non-load related network involving the orbital frontal and anterior cingulate cortices showed less connectivity in children. Hum Brain Mapp 35:698-711, 2014. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cannabis use and subclinical positive psychotic experiences in early adolescence: findings from a Dutch survey

AIMS

To investigate the association between early cannabis use and subclinical psychotic experiences, distinguishing between five levels of use: never used, discontinued use (life-time users who did not use in the preceding year), experimental use, regular use and heavy use.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING

Dutch Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, 2005 wave.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 4552 secondary school children aged 12-16 years.

MEASUREMENTS

Cannabis use, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) positive scale, confounding factors: age, gender, family affluence, household composition, social support, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, ethnicity and urbanicity.

FINDINGS

The association between cannabis use and subclinical positive symptoms was confirmed, and remained significant after extensive adjustment for potential confounders. Associations were found for all user groups, with strongest associations for the discontinued use group (β = 0.061, P = 0.000) and for the heavy use group (β = 0.065, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

There is an enduring association between cannabis use at an early age and subclinical positive psychotic experiences, even after abstaining from cannabis for at least 1 year.

Regulation of cognitive resources during an n-back task in youth-onset psychosis and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The goals of the current study were to use behavioral and pupillary measures to examine working memory on a spatial n-back task in 8-20-year-olds with youth-onset psychosis or ADHD (Combined subtype) and healthy controls to determine the contribution of different attentional factors to spatial working memory impairments, and to examine if age-related changes in performance differed across groups. Although both clinical groups had lower perceptual sensitivity on both 0- and 1-back, there was no evidence of an impairment in spatial working memory or differential order effects on the 0-back. Instead, results suggest that both clinical groups had difficulty encoding the stimuli. They also appeared to have difficulty maintaining attention and/or readiness to respond, and, to a lesser extent, recruiting resources on a trial-to-trial basis. It is likely that these attentional problems prevented the clinical groups from encoding the stimuli effectively and contributed to their general performance deficits.