Prevalence and associated factors of developmental coordination disorder in primary school children.

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most frequently observed movement disorders in childhood, yet data on its prevalence are still unclear. This two-stage epidemiological study aims to determine the prevalence of DCD in children between 6 and 10 years of age according to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5). In the first stage, the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ'07) were given to primary school students. In the second stage, clinicians conducted psychiatric interviews with children who had an indication of DCD or were suspected of having DCD according to the DCDQ'07 and their parents. The interviews utilized the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for DCD and applied the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version-Turkish Adaptation (K-SADS-PL) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) to identify co-occurring disorders. In the first stage, 2,306 children were evaluated, and 205 were invited for a clinical interview. Of the 198 children interviewed, 49 met the diagnostic criteria for DCD. The prevalence of DCD in Türkiye was found to be 2.1%. High parental education level, a previous psychiatric admission of the child, mother's postpartum depressive symptoms, co-occurring disorders, and co-occurring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were significantly more common among children with DCD. Potentially associated factors were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. The mother's education level, the presence of postpartum depressive symptoms, and co-occurring disorders in the child were found to be associated factors.

Oxidative Imbalance in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: A Preliminary Comparative Study.

Background It is important to determine the possible related factors of anxiety disorder, one of the common psychiatric disorders of childhood. Our aims in this study were to compare oxidative stress markers between anxiety disorders in pediatric patients and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between anxiety symptom severity and oxidative stress indicators. Methods The study included 25 patients and 25 healthy controls. We measured the total oxidant capacity (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAS) from the collected serum samples and calculated the oxidative stress index (OSI). We evaluated the clinical severity of the anxiety symptoms by the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version (RCADS-CV). Results The groups did not exhibit a noteworthy distinction in terms of TOS (p=0.128) and TAS (p=0.329). However, OSI was markedly elevated in the group with anxiety disorder (p=0.044). In the correlation analysis between anxiety symptom severity and oxidative stress indicators in the group with anxiety disorder, we found a positive correlation between TOS and RCADS total anxiety score (p=0.08). Conclusion These results may point to an oxidative dysfunction in anxiety disorders and the potential role of oxidative stress in their aetiology. Prospective, large-scale, randomized studies are needed to investigate if oxidative stress indicators can be used in the diagnosis of anxiety disorders and as new treatment targets.

Social media addiction, escapism and coping strategies are associated with the problematic internet use of adolescents in Türkiye: a multi-center study.

Introduction: The literature highlighted that problematic internet use can have detrimental consequences on individuals' well-being. Social media addiction, escapism and coping skills are closely related to problematic internet use. However, no study has currently examined the relationship between problematic internet use and social media use, escapism and coping skills. Method: This multicenter cross-sectional designed study evaluated the relationships between problematic internet use and social media addiction, escapism, and coping skills in 508 adolescents (319 female) aged 14-18 years. In order to collect data, sociodemographic data form, Internet Addiction Scale, Social Media Addiction Scale, Escapism Scale and Kidcope Adolescent Version have been used. First, adolescents who scored ≥50 on the Internet Addiction Test were classified as the problematic internet use group; adolescents who scored <50 were classified as the control group. Then, the relationships between problematic internet use and social media addiction, escapism and coping skills were evaluated. Results: The results showed that problematic internet use was associated with duration of social media use, impairment in social media-related functionality, preferring virtual life, and virtual pleasure, escapism, avoidant and negative coping strategies. Conclusion: These findings may provide an empirical basis for problematic internet use prevention and intervention in adolescence.

An assessment of dynamic facial emotion recognition and theory of mind in children with ADHD: An eye-tracking study.

Deficits in social cognition in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been associated with difficulties in functioning. Since recognizing emotional facial expressions is essential for developing the perceptual components of the theory of mind (ToM), it is important to assess this relationship in children with ADHD. This study therefore compared the recognition of emotional stimuli and gaze patterns between children with ADHD and healthy children using eye-tracking with dynamic facial images. It also examined the relationship between facial emotion recognition accuracy, gaze patterns, ToM scores, and ADHD symptoms. Children with ADHD aged 8-13 (n = 47) and a control group (n = 38) completed a facial emotion recognition test, ToM tests, and the Conners' Parent Rating Scale. Participants' gaze patterns in response to dynamic facial emotion expressions were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Children with ADHD exhibited significantly lower accuracy in the recognition of the facial expressions of disgust and anger. The percentage fixation in the eye region was also significantly lower for happy, angry, sad, disgusted, and neutral emotions in the children with ADHD compared to the control group. No relationship was determined between the percentage of fixations on facial areas of interests and ADHD symptoms or ToM tests. This study provides evidence that children with ADHD experience deficits in visual attention to emotional cues. In addition, it suggests that facial emotion recognition deficits in children with ADHD represent a separate domain of social cognition that develops independently of ToM skills and core symptoms. Understanding and treating the social difficulties of individuals with ADHD may help improve their social functioning.

Objective Parameters in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Eye and Head Movements.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate eye and head movements, which are objective parameters in ADHD. Method: While the children were watching the course video task, which included the relevant (teacher and smart board) and irrelevant (any regions outside the relevant area) areas of interest, their eye movements were evaluated through eye tracking, and video recordings were made simultaneous. Head position estimation was made using through video recordings. The proportion of total fixation duration on areas of interest (PFDAOI) and saccade count, amplitude, velocity for eye movements, number of total head movements and angular change of head movement in x-y-z axes for head movements were compared. RESULTS: Children with ADHD had lower PFDAOI on the relevant area, and had more saccade and head movements The angular change of head movement in the x-axis was higher in the ADHD group. CONCLUSION: In the assessment of ADHD, the eye and head movements may be particulary useful.

Toward the detection of reduced emotion expression intensity: an autism sibling study.

INTRODUCTION: Expressing emotions through spontaneous facial expression is an important nonverbal social communication skill. In our study, we aimed to demonstrate that both children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the non-ASD siblings of children with ASD have deficits in this skill. METHOD: In this study, we analyzed the six core facial emotion expressions of three distinct groups of children - those diagnosed with ASD (n = 60), non-ASD siblings (n = 60), and typically developed children (n = 60). To analyze facial expressions, we employed a computer vision program that uses machine learning algorithms to detect facial features and conducted an evidence-based task that involved assessing participants' ability to recognize facial emotion expressions. RESULTS: Deficits in spontaneous emotion expression were shown in the children with ASD and in non-ASD siblings when compared with typically developed children. Interestingly, it was determined that these deficits were not related to the severity of the autism symptoms in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that computer-based automated analysis of facial expressions with contextual social scenes task holds potential for measuring limitations in the ability to express emotions, and they supplement the traditional clinical assessment of social phenotypical behavior deficits. This applies both to children with ASD and especially, to the non-ASD siblings of children with ASD. This study adds a novel approach to previous literature examining the emotion expression skills.

Voluntary imitation of dynamic facial expressions in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a facial-behavior analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The difficulties involved in social interaction among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown in many studies. Based on the knowledge that the imitation of facial expressions is a key factor in social interaction and functionality, the focus of prior studies has been on the evaluation of facial expressions in individuals with ADHD. However, little is known about voluntary facial mimicry in individuals with ADHD. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the voluntary-facial-imitation intensity of dynamic facial expressions in children with ADHD. METHOD: Forty-one children with ADHD and 53 typically developing children were included in the study. Participants were presented with a video of six basic emotions and neutral facial expressions selected from the EU-Emotion Stimulus Set via a screen. After each emotion, the instruction "now imitate it" was given. While the children watched the video, their faces were recorded with a webcam. The intensity of the children's voluntary facial imitations was examined with a computer vision program (Openface) that performs facial analysis on recorded videos. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of facial emotion recognition accuracy. In group comparisons of voluntary facial mimicry, children with ADHD showed a significantly higher imitation intensity after emotional expressions of sadness, surprise and fear. There was no difference between the groups after the emotions of happiness, anger and disgust. CONCLUSION: This non-obtrusive, noninvasive, and cost-effective method allowed us to measure the quantitative differences in facial mimicry between children with ADHD and typically developing children. Our results contribute new information to the literature by indicating which emotions can be used in the evaluation of social communication skills, as well as intervention targets for these skills, in children with ADHD.

Functional Impairments and Related Factors in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During the COVID-19 Normalization Stage.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a disorder associated with significant functional impairments that can have important consequences for the individual and the society. Those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were reported to be more vulnerable in the face of difficulties and experience more psychological problems during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. It was shown that the psychological problems experienced during the pandemic could persist during the normalization stage. We aimed to assess functional impairment in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the related factors during the normalization stage which involved the initiation of fully face-to-face schooling practices. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 52) and a healthy control group (n = 52). Functional impairment was assessed using the Weiss functional impairment rating scale self and parent forms. We also examined the factors associated with functional impairment (internalizing-externalizing problems, parenting strategies, and perceived expressed emotion). Results: Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had higher functional impairment scores on Weiss functional impairment rating scale self and parent in all sub-domains and total. Weiss functional impairment rating scale self and parent total mean score had a positive correlation with negative parenting and externalizing-internalizing scores and a negative correlation with the positive parenting score. Weiss functional impairment rating scale-self total mean score was positively correlated with negative parenting and externalizing-internalizing scores and perceived expressed emotion scores. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the effects of the pandemic on children's functioning may persist in the normalization stage. For a comprehensive evaluation and effective intervention, it is important that comorbid symptoms, parenting strategies, and the perceived family climate are evaluated from the perspectives of both the parent and the adolescent.

Assessing sustained attention of children with ADHD in a class flow video task.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate sustained attention performance of children with ADHD and effect of distractors on sustained attention through an eye-tracking during a class-flow video task. METHOD: Data were collected using an eye-tracking during a class-flow task conducted with 60 children (ADHD and control groups). Two areas of interest were determined in the task, these are relevant (teacher and whiteboard) and irrelevant (any regions outside the relevant area) areas. The task also included distractors in relevant and irrelevant areas, comprising a brief conversation and dropping of a pencil, respectively. Proportion of total fixation duration on areas of interest (PFDAOI) was used to assess sustained attention. RESULTS: Children with ADHD had lower PFDAOI in the relevant area during the whole class than children in the control group. After the relevant area distractor, PFDAOI increased in relevant area in ADHD group, indicating these children may have better attention after the distractor. However, children with ADHD also showed increased PFDAOI in the irrelevant area following the irrelevant area distractor, indicating that it negatively affected them. There was no significant change in the control group following the distractors. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that children with ADHD have poor sustained attention performance during the whole class. Moreover, distractors in distinct areas could affect children with ADHD differently. Thus, students with ADHD could benefit from increased stimuli in the relevant area and this can be a guide for classroom arrangements to improve the academic functionality of these children.

Acute urinary retention after venlafaxine use.

We describe a case of lower urinary system symptoms (LUSSs) and acute urinary retention that developed after treatment with a low dose of venlafaxine. A 48-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic because of difficulty urinating, an intermittent stream, and trickling at the end of urination, together with urinary retention that had started about 45 days ago. The patient had been taking venlafaxine for the previous 6 months. The drug had been prescribed by the psychiatry department for a diagnosis of major depression, and the dose had been increased from 75 mg/day to 150 mg/day 1.5 months earlier. The patients' symptoms were thought to be related to venlafaxine, and the symptoms disappeared completely after venlafaxine was replaced with agomelatine. We concluded that the LUSSs and urinary retention were due to the venlafaxine treatment.