ABSTRACT
Despite the official exclusion criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the DSM-IV and ICD-10, patients with ASD often show ADHD symptoms. We aimed to examine the potential influence of ADHD symptoms on autistic psychopathology in a large sample of patients with ASD. We tested the hypothesis that patients with ASD and an additional ADHD (ASD+) would show a higher severity of autistic symptoms than those with ASD only (ASD-). We measured autistic symptoms using the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS-G), the autism diagnostic interview (ADI-R), and the social responsiveness scale (SRS). To measure overall psychopathology and ADHD symptoms, we used the child behavior checklist (CBCL) and the ADHD rating scale (FBB-ADHS), respectively. Group differences between the ASD+ and the ASD- group (group division was conducted according to the results of the FBB-ADHS) were calculated using a univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ASD+ group showed a greater severity of autistic symptoms than the ASD- group, measured by the SRS and the ADI-R. Especially in the social interaction subscale (ADI-R), a significantly higher symptom severity was found in the ASD+ group. No significant group differences were found regarding autistic symptoms measured by the ADOS-G. Patients with ASD and an additional ADHD expressed a stronger severity of autistic symptoms than patients with ASD only. According to our results, the possibility of a co-diagnosis of ADS and ADHD, as is being planned in the DSM-5, is in line with earlier studies, is highly reasonable, will simplify research, and have therapeutic implications.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/diagnosis , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/epidemiology , Severity of Illness Index , Adolescent , Adolescent Behavior , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/classification , Child , Child Behavior , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/classification , Comorbidity , Diagnosis, Differential , Diagnosis-Related Groups , Female , Humans , Male , Social BehaviorABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD) is a little-known disorder characterized by disturbances in the regulation of emotions, social interactions and thought disorders. Neither the classification system of ICD-10 nor the DSM-IV lists MCDD as an independent disorder. METHODS: The study presents an overview on diagnostic criteria, current research and illustration by a case report of a 17-year-old adolescent. RESULTS: MCDD, autistic disorders and schizophrenic disorders partially overlap. A clear classification or differentiation is currently not clearly possible. CONCLUSIONS: Many open questions remain, and further research is needed.
Subject(s)
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/diagnosis , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/psychology , Interpersonal Relations , Paranoid Behavior/diagnosis , Paranoid Behavior/psychology , Phobic Disorders/diagnosis , Phobic Disorders/psychology , Social Adjustment , Thinking , Adolescent , Behavior Therapy , Child , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/classification , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/therapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Comorbidity , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Learning Disabilities/classification , Learning Disabilities/diagnosis , Learning Disabilities/psychology , Learning Disabilities/therapy , Male , Paranoid Behavior/classification , Paranoid Behavior/therapy , Phobic Disorders/classification , Phobic Disorders/therapy , Schizotypal Personality Disorder/classification , Schizotypal Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Schizotypal Personality Disorder/psychology , Schizotypal Personality Disorder/therapyABSTRACT
Recurrent abdominal pain in children has a high prevalence, thought to be about 10%. Untreated, there is a high risk that the symptoms become chronic and may lead in some cases to co-morbid mental disorders. Evidence-based treatments are therefore urgently needed. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of psychological therapies for pain reduction in children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) by a meta-analysis of intervention studies. Ten controlled studies fulfilling minimum methodical criteria were included. The results of the analysis showed that psychological therapies, mainly cognitive-behavioural, have a moderate effect on the reduction of pain in children with RAP. After analysing homogeneity and significance with the fixed effect model, the medium effect size, calculated with Hedges g, was 0.58 (σ=0.16), demonstrating highly significant (p<.01) effects. The study showed that psychological therapies are effective in treating children with chronic abdominal pain. The empirical basis in this field needs to be broadened.
