scholarly journals Is Preterm Birth a Risk Factor for Subsequent Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children with Febrile Seizure?—A Retrospective Study

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 854
Author(s):  
Chien-Heng Lin ◽  
Wei-De Lin ◽  
I-Ching Chou ◽  
Inn-Chi Lee ◽  
Syuan-Yu Hong
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Premature Birth ◽  
Febrile Seizure ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Preterm Group

Febrile seizure (FS) is the most prevalent childhood seizure; it is significantly related to subsequent epilepsy and has possible links to childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. Separately, premature births are believed to increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, this study investigated whether preterm birth is a risk factor for subsequent epilepsy, ASD, and ADHD in children with FS. We retrospectively collected data for children aged < 5 years with FS from 1 January 2005, to 31 December 2013. We divided these children into two groups—the premature birth group and the full-term group—and compared their incidence rates of epilepsy, ASD and ADHD. The data of 426 patients with history of febrile convulsion were retrospectively collected. The premature birth group (FS+/preterm+) had 108 patients and the full-term group (FS+/preterm−) had 318 patients. The overall epilepsy risk in the FS+/preterm+ group was higher than in the FS+/preterm− group (odds ratio [OR], 2.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14–5.58; p = 0.02). The overall risk of ADHD in the FS+/preterm+ group was higher than that in the FS+/preterm− group (OR, 6.41; 95% CI, 3.39–12.09; p = 0.0001). In addition, children with FS+/preterm+ had 16.9 times (95% CI, 4.79–59.7; p = 0.0001) higher odds of having ASD compared with those with FS+/preterm−. Preterm birth may be a risk factor for subsequent epilepsy, ASD and ADHD in children with FS

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 158-176
Author(s):  
Karen Bearss ◽  
Aaron J. Kaat
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Delayed Recognition

This chapter will review the available evidence on individuals with co-occurring diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This chapter contends that children diagnosed with both disorders (ASD+ADHD) are a subset of the ASD population that is at risk for delayed recognition of their ASD diagnosis, poor treatment response, and poorer functional outcomes compared to those with ASD without ADHD. Specifically, the chapter highlights the best estimates of the prevalence of the comorbidity, the developmental trajectory of people with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, how ADHD symptoms change across development, overlapping genetic and neurobiological risk factors, psychometrics of ADHD diagnostic instruments in an ASD population, neuropsychological and functional impairments associated with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, and the current state of evidence-based treatment for both ASD and ADHD symptoms. Finally, the chapter discusses fruitful avenues of research for improving understanding of this high-risk comorbidity so that mechanism-to-treatment pathways for ADHD in children with ASD can be better developed.

scholarly journals Medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with or without coexisting autism spectrum disorder: analysis of data from the Swedish prescribed drug register

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoria Johansson ◽  
Sven Sandin ◽  
Zheng Chang ◽  
Mark J. Taylor ◽  
Paul Lichtenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Adhd Medication ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Drug Register

Abstract Background Clinical studies found that medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is effective in coexisting autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but current research is based on small clinical studies mainly performed on children or adolescents. We here use register data to examine if individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD present differences in the prescribing patterns of ADHD medication when compared to individuals with pure ADHD. Methods Data with information on filled prescriptions and diagnoses was retrieved from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the National Patient Register. We identified 34,374 individuals with pure ADHD and 5012 individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD, aged between 3 and 80 years. The first treatment episode with ADHD medications (≥ 2 filled prescriptions within 90 days) and daily doses of methylphenidate during a 3-year period was measured. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for the likelihood of being prescribed ADHD medication in individuals with and without ASD and Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare group differences in dose per day. Results Individuals with ADHD and coexisting ASD were less likely to start continuous treatment with ADHD medication (ADHD 80.5%; ADHD with ASD 76.2%; OR, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.86), were less likely to be prescribed methylphenidate, and were more commonly prescribed second line treatments such as dexamphetamine, amphetamine, or modafinil. No group difference was observed for atomoxetine. In adults with ADHD and coexisting ASD, methylphenidate was prescribed in lower daily doses over three years as compared to individuals with pure ADHD. Conclusions The findings indicate that there are differences in the medical treatment of individuals with or without ASD. If these differences are due to different medication responses in ASD or due to other factors such as clinicians’ perceptions of medication effects in patients with ASD, needs to be further studied.

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