scholarly journals Activity/rest rhythm of depressed adolescents undergoing therapy: case studies

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 216-220
Author(s):  
Maria Eugênia Mesquita ◽  
◽  
Maria Eliza Finazzi ◽  
Bruno Gonçalves ◽  
Lee Fu-I ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Activity Monitors ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Clinical Evaluations ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Children’S Depression ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Depressed Children ◽  
Course Of Depression

Abstract Introduction: Disorders of circadian rhythms have been reported in studies of both depressed children and of depressed adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a relationship between the 24-hour spectral power (24h SP) of the activity/rest rhythm and the clinical course of depression in adolescents. Methods: Six 14 to 17-year-old adolescents were recruited for the study. They were all suffering from major depressive disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria, as identified by the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children: Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Children's Depression Rating Scale - Revised (CDRS-R) and clinical evaluations. Locomotor activity was monitored over a period of 13 consecutive weeks. Activity was measured for 10-minute periods using wrist-worn activity monitors. All patients were prescribed sertraline from after the first week up until the end of the study. Results: We found a relationship between high CDRS values and low 24-hour spectral power. Conclusions: The 24h SP of the activity/rest rhythm correlated significantly (negatively) with the clinical ratings of depression.

Using genomics to predict antidepressant response in suicidal depressed children

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S53-S53
Author(s):  
Maya Amitai ◽  
Alan Apter
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Clinical Response ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Children’S Depression ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Depressed Children

BackgroundDepression and anxiety disorders are among the most common childhood psychiatric disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally considered first-line treatment for both depression and anxiety in this age group. However, it has been reported that 30%–40% of all patients who receive a sufficient dose and duration of treatment fail to respond. Moreover, SSRI use is frequently associated with serious adverse events (SAE), including activation symptoms, manic switch and increased suicidal behavior. These are particularly relevant in pediatric populations because of concerns about the suicide threat of SSRIs, resulting in a black-box warning. Currently there is no way of knowing in advance who of the patients will respond. Identification of biomarkers that would be early predictors of response and of the occurrence of SAE could help to maximize the benefit–risk ratio for the use of SSRIs, and speed up the matching of treatment to patient. The main objective of this project is therefore to identify and validate biomarkers predicting response and SAE in depressed children and adolescents, thus improving treatment, enabling the development of novel diagnostic tests and suggest novel therapeutic targets for future related drug development.MethodsAs a preliminary pilot, we already obtained blood samples from 80 depressed and anxious children and adolescents over the last year before, during and after eight weeks of fluoxetine (FLU) therapy. Genetic and epigenetic samples were collected from all participants. The patients were treated with FLU 20–40 mg/day for 8 weeks. Clinical response was measured with several scales including the Children's Depression Rating Scale–Revised (CDRS-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED).ResultsThe participant's age ranged from 6 to 18 (14.12 ± 2.30) years. The overall response rate was 56%. Ten percent responded with SAE. Regarding Pharmacogenetics, The 5-HTTLPR ss genotype was associated with a poorer clinical response with regard to depressive symptoms as well with fewer reports of agitation compared to the ll genotype. Regarding immune measures, we analyzed cytokine levels from 41 children. Plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) before and after FLU treatment. Antidepressant treatment significantly reduced TNF-α levels (P = 0.037), with no significant changes in the levels of IL-6 and IL-1β. All three pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in SSRI-refractory than SSRI-responsive patients, i.e.: higher levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β might predict non-response to fluoxetine treatment in children.Future plansOut of the study sample we selected 13 remitters and 13 non-responders and 10 children with SAE (activation symptoms, manic/hypomanic switch, increased suicidality), and analyzed expression profiles in peripheral blood at admission and after 8 weeks of treatment using illumine Truseq technique. Hopefully, we shall find significant differences in miRNA profiles between the different groups which may serve as biomarkers indicating AD treatment response and SAE. The differentially regulated miRNA's can be studied in depth in the future in animal models in order to support the hypothesis that they may be involved in the AD mechanism.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Parent- and Teacher-Reported Symptoms of ADHD in School-Aged Children With Active Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 887-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Reilly ◽  
Patricia Atkinson ◽  
Krishna B. Das ◽  
Richard F. M. Chin ◽  
Sarah E. Aylett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Developmental Coordination Disorder ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Childhood Epilepsy ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Active Epilepsy ◽  
Coordination Disorder

Objective: Provide data on the distribution of parent- and teacher-reported symptoms of ADHD in childhood epilepsy and describe coexisting cognitive and behavioral disorders in children with both epilepsy and ADHD. Method: Eighty-five (74% of those eligible) children (5-15 years) in a population-based sample with active epilepsy underwent psychological assessment. The ADHD Rating Scale–IV (ADHD-RS-IV) scale was completed by parents ( n = 69) and teachers ( n = 67) of participating children with an IQ > 34. ADHD was diagnosed with respect to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Results: Parents reported significantly more symptoms of ADHD than teachers ( p < .001). Symptoms of inattention were more commonly reported than symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity ( p < .001). Neurobehavioral comorbidity was similar in those with ADHD and non-ADHD with the exception of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which were more common in those with both epilepsy and ADHD. Conclusion: Symptoms of ADHD are very common in childhood epilepsy but prevalence is influenced by informant.

Commentary

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 8-8
Author(s):  
Richard T. Katz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Behavioral Disorder ◽  
Sixth Edition ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ◽  
Psychiatric Rating ◽  
Psychiatric Rating Scale ◽  
Mental And Behavioral Disorders

Abstract The author, who is the editor of the Mental and Behavioral Disorders chapter of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Sixth Edition, comments on the previous article, Assessing Mental and Behavioral Disorder Impairment: Overview of Sixth Edition Approaches in this issue of The Guides Newsletter. The new Mental and Behavioral Disorders (M&BD) chapter, like others in the AMA Guides, is a consensus opinion of many authors and thus reflects diverse points of view. Psychiatrists and psychologists continue to struggle with diagnostic taxonomies within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but anxiety, depression, and psychosis are three unequivocal areas of mental illness for which the sixth edition of the AMA Guides provides M&BD impairment rating. Two particular challenges faced the authors of the chapter: how could M&BD disorders be rated (and yet avoid an onslaught of attorney requests for an M&BD rating in conjunction with every physical impairment), and what should be the maximal impairment rating for a mental illness. The sixth edition uses three scales—the Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale, the Global Assessment of Function, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale—after careful review of a wide variety of indices. The AMA Guides remains a work in progress, but the authors of the M&BD chapter have taken an important step toward providing a reasonable method for estimating impairment.

Safety of phosphatidylserine containing omega3 fatty acids in ADHD children: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial followed by an open-label extension

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 386-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Manor ◽  
A. Magen ◽  
D. Keidar ◽  
S. Rosen ◽  
H. Tasker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Blood Biochemical ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Open Label Extension ◽  
Safety Parameters

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the safety of phosphatidylserine (PS) enriched with omega3 fatty acids, mainly eicosapentaenoic (PS-Omega3) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods:Two hundred children diagnosed with ADHD were randomised to receive either PS-Omega3 (300 mg PS-Omega3/day) or placebo for 15 weeks. One hundred and fifty children continued into an open-label extension for an additional 15 weeks in which they all consumed PS-Omega3 (150 mg PS-Omega3/day). Standard blood biochemical and haematological safety parameters, blood pressure, heart rate, weight and height were evaluated. Adverse events and the Side Effect Rating Scale were also assessed.Results:One hundred and sixty-two participants completed the double-blind phase. No significant differences were noted between the two study groups in any of the safety parameters evaluated. One hundred and forty participants completed the open-label phase. At the end of this phase, no significant changes from baseline were observed in any of the studied parameters among participants who consumed PS-Omega3 for 30 weeks.Conclusions:Study results demonstrate that consumption of PS-Omega3 by children with ADHD, as indicated in a 30-week evaluation period, is safe and well tolerated, without any negative effect on body weight or growth.

ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND PATTERNS OF FARMERS’/PASTORALISTS’ CONFLICTS IN ZAMFARA STATE, NIGERIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-66
Author(s):  
Olasunkanmi Gabriel Jeje ◽  
B. A. Sawa ◽  
Y. A. Arigbede
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Implementation Framework ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Purposeful Sampling ◽  
Climate Change Information ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Ranch Management ◽  
Key Informant Interview ◽  
The Relationship

Struggle over land and scarce resources have resulted in perennial and growing violent conflicts amongst arable crop farmers and cattle herdsmen in various parts of Nigeria. This study analyses the relationship between climate change and patterns of herders-crop farmers’ conflict in Zamfara state, Nigeria. Data for this study were acquired via semi structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interview. Purposeful sampling method was used to select six communities, while 260 farmers and 67 pastoralists were chosen as sample size for the survey based on Krejcie and Morgan’s formula. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, arithmetic mean and Likert rating scale were adopted to analyze the data for the study. Results from the findings indicated that farmers and herders in Zamfara state were within active years of economic and productive age (24 to 44 years). Nearly,75% of both farmers and pastoralists in the study communities professed there is high variability in rainfall pattern  and increase in temperature. Three-quarter of the respondents confirmed that the nature of the conflicts was assault involving the use of arms; whereas two-fifth of the respondents affirmed that the conflict occurs during harvest and the planting seasons.  The study concluded that climate change is the bane of incessant resource use conflicts in the study area. Thus a clearly formulated government policies and implementation framework that would boost climate change information forecasting and dissemination, adaptive capacity and ranch management will salvage the conflictual relationship subsisting between farmers and herders in the study area

Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Desvenlafaxine in Children and Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder: Results from Two Open-Label Extension Trials

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 496-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Atkinson ◽  
Louise Thurman ◽  
Sara Ramaker ◽  
Gina Buckley ◽  
Sarah Ruta Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Extension Study ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Children’S Depression ◽  
Flexible Dose

ObjectiveTwo similarly designed extension studies evaluated the long-term safety and tolerability of desvenlafaxine for the treatment of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). Efficacy was evaluated as a secondary objective.MethodsBoth 6-month, open-label, flexible-dose extension studies enrolled children and adolescents who had completed one of two double-blind, placebo-controlled, lead-in studies. One lead-in study included a 1-week transition period prior to the extension study. Patients received 26-week treatment with flexible-dose desvenlafaxine (20–50 mg/d). Safety assessments included comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, vital sign assessments, laboratory evaluations, 12-lead electrocardiogram, physical examination with Tanner assessment, and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Adverse events (AEs) were collected throughout the studies. Efficacy was assessed using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale–Revised (CDRS-R).ResultsA total of 552 patients enrolled (completion rates: 66.4 and 69.1%). AEs were reported by 79.4 and 79.1% of patients in the two studies; 8.9 and 5.2% discontinued due to AEs. Treatment-emergent suicidal ideation or behavior was reported for 16.6 and 14.1% of patients in the two studies. Mean (SD) CDRS-R total score decreased from 33.83 (11.93) and 30.92 (10.20) at the extension study baseline to 24.31 (7.48) and 24.92 (8.45), respectively, at week 26.ConclusionDesvenlafaxine 20 to 50 mg/d was generally safe and well tolerated with no new safety signals identified in children and adolescents with MDD who received up to 6 months of treatment in these studies. Patients maintained the reduction in severity of depressive symptoms observed in all treatment groups at the end of the lead-in study.

Characteristics of Green Schools: Observations of Award-winning Green Preschools in Bali, Berkeley and Hong Kong

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ailin Iwan ◽  
Nirmala Rao ◽  
Kenneth K. Y. Poon
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
National Study ◽  
Green Schools ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Green School ◽  
Cross National Study ◽  
School Movement ◽  
Cross National

Award-winning Green Preschools in Bali, Berkeley and Hong Kong were selected to explore the characteristics of Green Schools using measures developed by educators (Environmental Rating Scale for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood (ERS-SDEC)) and architects (simplified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) development). Classrooms for 4- to 5-year-olds were systematically assessed over a 10-month period. A 35 years’ timeline of the Green School movement was produced. The Bronfenbrenner Ecological Theory has been used to frame and analyse this cross-national study. Results indicated striking similarities from both scales that the Green Preschool in Bali received the highest rating followed by Green Preschool in Berkeley and Hong Kong. Three distinct Green School characteristics were found to be: (a) holistic, (b) building and (c) curriculum. The schools’ green characteristics appeared to be influenced by cultures, city regulations and the external institutions that established the green awards.

scholarly journals Behavioral and EEG reactions in primary school-aged children to emotionally colored verbal stimuli with the condition of their own or forced choice

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 72-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A. Aiusheeva ◽  
A.E. Saprygin ◽  
A.N. Savostyanov ◽  
V.V. Stеpanova
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Alpha Rhythm ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Choice Situation ◽  
Verbal Stimuli ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Theta Range

The aim of the study is to compare behavioral and EEG reactions of primary school-aged children during the recognition of syntactic errors in emotionally (positively or negatively) colored sentences that appeal to the choice of the child differently. 20 children (mean age 9,0±0,3 years, 12 boys, 8 girls) were examined. We found out that the children with a high quality of solving a linguistic task concentrate all their attention on finding an error in the sentences, and children with a low quality of solving a task demonstrate increased emotionality, possibly connected with their unsuccessfulness. The strongest EEG reactions in the ranges of alpha- and theta- rhythms were recorded in children with slow speed and bad quality of the solution of the task. The recognition of sentences with negative emotions took longer than sentences with positive emotions. The increase of emotions (synchronization in theta range) during the recognition of negative sentences was provoked by the expectation of failure and “identification” with it. The children found the mistake better in the sentences with their own choice than in the sentences that describes the forced-choice situation. Desynchronization (i.e. decrease in the spectral power) and synchronization (i.e. increase in spectral power) was detected on the EEG in the alpha-rhythm range. Desynchronization was associated with the recognition of sentences describing the children’s own choice; synchronization was recorded when recognizing sentences describing the forced-choice situation.

scholarly journals Perception of Non-Verbal Prosody in Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra V. Maslennikova ◽  
Galina V. Portnova ◽  
Olga V. Martynova
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Target Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Density ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Important Marker

AbstractParalinguistic features of the speaker, such as prosody, temp, loudness, and dynamics, are an important marker of a person’s emotional state. The deficit of processing of emotional prosody could be preferably associated with the impairments in individuals with ASD’s social behavior. The following two groups of children participated in our study: 30 preschoolers from 4 to 6 years old in the target group (39.1 ± 6.4 scores by Childhood Autism Rating Scale), 24 preschoolers of the control group from 4 to 6 years in the control group. The prosody stimuli were the combination of syllables, said with intonations of “joy,” “angry,” “sadness,” “fear,” and “calm.” Fast Fourier transform (FFT) is used to analyze power spectrum density (PSD). The resulting normalized spectrum was integrated over unit width intervals in the range of interest (2 to 20 Hz with a step in 1Hz). Children with ASD, similarly to TD children, showed the most pronounced differenced of EEG in response to prosodics of fear and anger. The significant groups’ differences in PSD were detected for sad and joy intonations. Indexes of EEG differences between pleasure and painful intonations were significantly higher in the control group than children with ASD and between sadness and calm or joy and calm intonations. This paper makes up two main contributions: In general, we obtained that children with ASD have less response to a human voice’s emotional intonation. The physical characteristics of stimuli are more critical than a sign of emotions. The effect of EEG spectral power has hemisphere specialization in the healthy control group, but not in ASD children. Since spectral power for negative emotions in the target group is higher, we proposed that ASD children worse recognize positive emotions than negative emotions.

scholarly journals Central Pain in Parkinson’s Disease: Behavioral and Cognitive Characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
N. Vila-Chã ◽  
S. Cavaco ◽  
A. Mendes ◽  
A. Gonçalves ◽  
I. Moreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Smoking Habits ◽  
Addictive Behaviors ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Compulsive Behaviors

Introduction. Pain is a major nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and central parkinsonian pain is the core feature of the putative Park pain subtype of PD. This study aimed to explore the cognitive and behavioral profile of PD patients with central parkinsonian pain. Material and Methods. A structured interview was used to identify and characterize pain in a cohort of 260 consecutive PD patients. The Ford classification of pain was applied. The Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) and the Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease Short Form (QUIP-S) were administered, and patients’ smoking habits were recorded. The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was used to assess motor and nonmotor symptoms in off and on conditions. Results. One hundred and eighty-eight patients (68%) reported pain; and in 41 (22%) of them, the pain was classified as central parkinsonian pain. PD patients with central parkinsonian pain had better cognitive performance in DRS-2 Initiation/Perseveration and Conceptualization subscales but reported more other compulsive behaviors (e.g., hobbyism, punding, and walkabout) and had more current smoking habits than those without pain or with non-central parkinsonian pain. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the DRS-2 Conceptualization subscale, other compulsive behaviors, and smoking habits remained statistically associated with central parkinsonian pain even when other significant covariates were considered. Only patients with pain, regardless of type, had a gambling disorder. Discussion. The study results provide further evidence that pain revealed that patients with central parkinsonian pain are more likely to present compulsive or addictive behaviors, despite having more preserved cognitive performance. Patients with central parkinsonian pain appear to have a distinct phenotype of PD.

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