ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The study of the behaviour profile in subjects with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). METHODS: A total of fifty-eight 3- to 29-year-old subjects with PWS were studied using a standardized parent report of behavioural and emotional disturbances. RESULTS: There was an increase of behavioural and emotional disturbances for the adolescent and young adult age range, whereas gender and intelligence were not significant. Increasing body mass index (BMI) was also associated with more behavioural and emotional disturbances. There was no significant relation between genetic status and behavioural abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic study supports single case observations of a heightened psychiatric vulnerability of adolescent and young adult PWS subjects.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/etiology , Mood Disorders/etiology , Prader-Willi Syndrome/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Body Mass Index , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Mood Disorders/epidemiology , Obesity/diagnosis , Obesity/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
A cohort of 93 short-statured children and adolescents undergoing GH treatment were evaluated with respect to behavior, emotions, and attitudes. The sample consisted of patients suffering from either idiopathic GH deficiency or neurosecretory dysfunction (no.=47), Turner syndrome (no.=20), organic GH deficiency due to brain tumors (no.=10), or other etiologies (no.=16). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) together with a brief Evaluation of Treatment Questionnaire (ETQ) were filled out by the patient's parents. These evaluations were performed at onset and after 12 and 24 months of GH treatment, respectively. There was a highly significant but clinically small decline of behavioral abnormalities over time and parents saw major benefits of GH treatment in the total group of patients. The behavioral changes over time were independent of diagnostic category, gender, height velocity, puberty and age.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior/drug effects , Body Height/drug effects , Child Behavior/drug effects , Growth Disorders/drug therapy , Human Growth Hormone/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Attitude , Brain Neoplasms/complications , Child , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Emotions/drug effects , Growth Disorders/etiology , Growth Disorders/pathology , Human Growth Hormone/deficiency , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy , Neurosecretion/drug effects , Pilot Projects , Turner Syndrome/drug therapyABSTRACT
The relation between behavior profiles and short stature was assessed in 311 children and adolescents with various diagnoses. The mean Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) profile of the entire group of children with growth deficiency significantly exceeded population norms on all scales and scores. However, there were no significant differences between five major diagnostic groups across CBCL scales. Neither age, gender, socioeconomic status, nor severity of short stature had any effect on the various CBCL and YSR scores. Correlations between parent (CBCL) and child (YSR) scores were significant, though only at a low to medium level. It was concluded that probably short stature per se, rather than a specific diagnosis, has an impact on behavioral adaptation.
