Relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo and sleep, psychological, somatic, and cognitive problems and impairment in children with autism and children with ADHD

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910452097845
Author(s):  
Susan D Mayes ◽  
Susan L Calhoun ◽  
Daniel A Waschbusch
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Somatic Complaints ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Cognitive Problems ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a topic of renewed interest. Much remains to be learned about its association with symptoms and diagnoses that have received little research attention, particularly sleep disturbance, somatic complaints, and autism. Our study is the first to explore the relationship between SCT and sleep, internalizing, externalizing, somatic, and cognitive problems, impairment, and demographics in large samples of children with autism, ADHD-Combined, and ADHD-Inattentive. Mothers rated 1,436 children with autism and 1,056 with ADHD without autism, 2 to 17 years, on the Pediatric Behavior Scale (PBS). Factor analysis yielded a 6-item SCT factor (sluggish/slow moving/low energy, stares/preoccupied/in own world, tires easily, in a fog/confused, drowsy/sleepy/not alert, and apathetic) plus 10 additional factors. SCT was distinct from but related to several factors and was associated with social and academic impairment. The strongest independent predictors of SCT were depression, sleeping more than normal, cognitive problems, autism, and somatic complaints. Scores on the remaining factors (sleep disturbance, attention deficit, impulsivity, hyperactivity, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and anxiety) increased explained variance by less than 2%. Findings suggest that SCT is not simply sluggish cognitive tempo, as the name implies, and is a complex construct with behavioral, affective, emotional, cognitive, and somatic components and associations. Given that 49% of children with autism had SCT, SCT symptoms should be considered in all children being evaluated for autism, as well as for ADHD-C and ADHD-I (with SCT percentages of 31% and 40%). Assessing and treating SCT is especially important because of its association with impairment.

Evaluation of the Interplay Between Homework Motivation and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Youth With ADHD: Associations With Homework Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1262-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe R. Smith ◽  
Rosanna P. Breaux ◽  
Cathrin D. Green ◽  
Joshua M. Langberg
Keyword(s):  
Academic Failure ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
School Students ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Youth With Adhd ◽  
Low Motivation ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: This study evaluated which Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) factors (i.e., Slow, Sleepy, Daydreamer) are most strongly associated with homework motivation, and whether homework motivation mediates the path between SCT and academic impairment. Method: Participants were 285 middle school students (boys 209) in Grades 6 to 8 (ages 10-15 years) who were comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD. Results: Parent- and self-report of SCT Slow behaviors predicted homework motivation above and beyond symptoms of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, depression, and intelligence. The mediation models tested were multi-informant and cross-rater (parent-report of SCT to self-report of motivation to teacher-report of homework problems), and suggest that low motivation may help explain the associations between SCT and functional impairment. Conclusion: SCT and motivation are significantly associated constructs. Clinically, youth with ADHD and comorbid SCT may be more likely to present with low motivation, placing them at risk for academic failure. The manuscript discusses potential clinical implications of these findings.

scholarly journals Validity of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in South America: An Initial Examination Using Mother and Teacher Ratings of Chilean Children

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 667-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Belmar ◽  
Mateu Servera ◽  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
G. Leonard Burns
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Teacher Ratings ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Initial Examination ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: To examine the validity of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and ADHD–inattention (ADHD-IN) symptoms in children from Chile. Method: Mothers and teachers rated SCT, ADHD-IN, ADHD–hyperactivity/impulsivity (ADHD-HI), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, depression, academic impairment, social impairment, and peer rejection (teachers only) in 652 Chilean children (55% boys) aged 6 to 14 years. Results: For both mother and teacher ratings, the eight SCT symptoms and nine ADHD-IN symptoms showed substantial loadings on their respective factors (convergent validity) along with loadings close to zero on the alternative factor (discriminant validity). ADHD-IN showed a uniquely stronger relationship than SCT with ADHD-HI and ODD whereas SCT showed a uniquely stronger relationship than ADHD-IN with anxiety and depression. Although ADHD-IN uniquely predicted academic impairment and social difficulties, SCT did not. Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence for the validity of SCT among children outside of North America or Western Europe.

scholarly journals Can Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Be Distinguished From ADHD Inattention in Very Young Children? Evidence From a Sample of Korean Preschool Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 623-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
SoYean Lee ◽  
G. Leonard Burns ◽  
Stephen P. Becker
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Somatic Complaints ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: This study evaluated whether sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is separable from ADHD–inattention (IN) and uniquely associated with internalizing dimensions in preschool children in South Korea. Method: Mothers of 172 preschool children (ages 4-6 years; 52% girls) rated children’s SCT, ADHD-IN, ADHD–hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), aggression, emotional reactivity, anxiety/depression, somatic complaints, withdrawal, and sleep problems. Results: Eight of 10 SCT symptoms showed convergent and discriminant validity with ADHD-IN. ADHD-IN remained significantly positively associated with ADHD-HI, ODD, and aggressive behavior after controlling for SCT, whereas SCT was no longer positively associated with these externalizing behaviors after controlling for ADHD-IN. Both SCT and ADHD-IN were uniquely associated with greater emotionally reactivity, anxiety/depression, and withdrawal. Only SCT was uniquely associated with somatic complaints, and only ADHD-IN was uniquely associated with sleep problems. Conclusion: Findings replicate results with children and adolescents, thus expanding evidence for the validity of SCT in early development.

scholarly journals Association of Foster Care and its Duration with Clinical Symptoms and Impairment: Foster Care versus Non-Foster Care Comparisons with Spanish Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 526-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignasi Navarro-Soria ◽  
Mateu Servera ◽  
G. Leonard Burns
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Foster Children ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Mothers And Fathers ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Objective The objective was to determine if Spanish foster care children and Spanish non-foster children differ on sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), ADHD-inattention (IN), ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), limited prosocial emotions (LPE), anxiety, depression, social and academic impairment measures and if the duration of foster care predicts a reduction in symptom and impairment differences between foster and non-foster care children. Method Foster care parents of 49 children (8 to 13 years, 57% girls) and non-foster care mothers and fathers of 1776 children (8 to 13 years, 49% girls) completed the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI). Results Foster care children had significantly higher scores on all symptom and impairment measures than non-foster care mother and father groups (d values from 0.37 to 1.53). A longer duration in foster care (range 8 to 86 months) was also associated with significant lower scores on SCT, ADHD-IN, anxiety, depression, and academic impairment. In addition, while foster care children with a shorter duration in foster care (less than medium months) had significantly higher scores than the non-foster care groups on all measures (d values from 0.66 to 2.25), children with a longer duration in foster care did not differ from the non-foster care groups on anxiety, depression, ADHD-IN, ADHD-HI, LPE, social and academic impairment. Conclusions Although foster care children had elevated psychopathology and impairment scores relative to non-foster care children, a longer stay in foster care was associated with the elimination of the difference on most symptom and impairment measures.

Social and Academic Impairment in Youth with ADHD, Predominately Inattentive Type and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Marshall ◽  
Steven W. Evans ◽  
Ricardo B. Eiraldi ◽  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
Thomas J. Power
Keyword(s):  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Inattentive Type ◽  
Youth With Adhd ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

An Open-Label Trial of Methylphenidate Treating Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Inattention, and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptoms Among 6- to 12-Year-Old ADHD Children: What Are the Predictors of Treatment Response at Home and School?

2020 ◽  
pp. 108705472090284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumeyra Fırat ◽  
Hesna Gul ◽  
Ayla Aysev
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Response ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Lower Treatment ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Adhd Children ◽  
Home And School ◽  
Cognitive Tempo ◽  
At Home

Objective: This study investigated the effects of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), other psychiatric symptoms, age, dose, and pretreatment ADHD severity on methylphenidate (MPH) treatment response among ADHD children in both home and school. In addition, the predictors of the MPH-SCT treatment response were examined. Methods: One hundred eighty-five (6–12 years old) ADHD children who were treated with MPH included in the study. Results: MPH improved SCT total and SCT-Daydreaming scores both at home and school while improved SCT-Sluggish scores in only school. Higher pretreatment Daydreaming score predicted lower treatment response for inattention ( B = .301, p = .002), and higher Daydreaming-Sluggish scores predicted lower treatment response for total ADHD symptoms at school ( B = .456, p = .006; B = .888, p = .04, respectively). Also higher oppositional defiant disorder symptoms have negative effects on MPH treatment response in ADHD. Older age positively affected the MPH-SCT treatment response in paternal and teacher ratings. Conclusion: SCT symptoms have negative effects on MPH treatment response at school.

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