Juvenile Competency Complications: Protocol, Unmet Needs, Developmental Immaturity, FASD, and Comorbidity.

This Article focuses on unifying the protocol for state competency evaluations, but with special concerns about undiagnosed FASD and developmental immaturity in adolescents. States do not mandate any process whereby psychometric tests are first performed prior to psychiatric mental status evaluations, often causing disparities in evaluations which might easily be avoided in court proceedings. Adding to the complications in current competency evaluations are recent studies from Canada and Australia identifying exceptionally high rates of FASD in incarcerated adolescents following multi-disciplinary teams' studies directed at identifying FASD. If these studies' rates of FASD turn out to be similar for children in the U.S. juvenile justice system, then systemic reform is called for as we are failing to identify this congenital condition when adolescents enter the system and then continue on into the adult criminal system without recognition of their prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Substance use disorders in association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, co-morbid mental disorders, and medication in a nationwide sample.

BACKGROUND: The association of substance use disorders (SUD) with attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), co-morbid mental disorders, and medication has only been studied in isolation and in rather small samples. PROCEDURE: Data were based on four Danish national registers covering a total of 20,742 patients with ADHD, their dispensed medications, co-morbid mental disorders, and associated SUD between 1994 and 2010. The analyses considered the risk of various medications (methylphenidate only, antidepressants only, antipsychotic only, mixed medication) in comparison to a control group of non-medicated patients with ADHD, various co-morbid disorders, duration of medication, age at diagnosis, year of birth, and sex for developing SUD. RESULTS: The observation period of the cohort ranged between 2.25 and 66.21 years and the prevalence for SUD was 9.51%. The SUD rates were significantly higher prior to, compared to following the onset of medication in the methylphenidate and the mixed medication subgroup, whereas they were significantly higher following onset of medication in the antidepressants and the antipsychotics subgroups. However, the SUD rates were significantly higher in all drug conditions except for methylphenidate after onset of medication compared to the non-medicated subgroup. Risk factors obtained by regression analysis did not include methylphenidate but did include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mixed medications, in combination with co-morbid mood, anxiety, personality, and conduct disorders, and older age at diagnosis. Longer duration of medication and female sex were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: This representative study based on a large nationwide psychiatric sample provides solid evidence into the patterns of SUD in patients with ADHD based on medication use and co-morbidities.

Estudio multicéntrico, abierto, para evaluar eficacia y seguridad de metilfenidato de liberación controlada en niños con trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) / Multicentric study, to assess efficacy and security of controlled release OROS methylphenidate in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders

Introducción. Objetivo: evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de clorhidrato de metilfenidato de liberación controlada en sistema OROS (MPH OROS, Concerta®), en niños con trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) previamente tratados con metilfenidato de liberación inmediata (MLI). Material y métodos. Se incluyeron 97 niños entre 6 y 16 años, con diagnóstico de TDAH de cualquier subtipo, según los criterios del DSM-IV, con tratamiento previo por lo menos 4 semanas antes con MLI en dosis de 10 a 60 mg por día, y que presentaban buena respuesta clínica. Se excluyeron niños con otras enfermedades psiquiátricas o metabólicas. La dosis de MPH OROS se administró una vez al día entre 18 a 54 mg. Se utilizaron escalas de impresión global clínica (CGI), Escala Iowa Conners para padres y maestros, Escala de Interacción de Pares, efectos sobre sueño y apetito, escala Yale de tics, somatometría y registro de eventos adversos en cada visita. Resultados. De los 97 niños, abandonaron 26 [4 (4%) por respuesta insuficiente y 2 (2%) por hiporexia y calambres]. Se analizaron 71 pacientes, 64 (90%) masculinos, 7 (10%) femeninos, con edad promedio 9 ± 2 años, con peso inicial promedio 33.8 + 9.7 kg y peso final 34.7 + 9.9 kg. La dosis de MPH OROS fue de 18 mg en 64% de los pacientes. Ningún paciente desarrolló tics de novo. La mejoría clínica de los pacientes acorde a las escalas de Iowa Conners y de pares fue significativa (P =0.001, t de Student). Los eventos adversos más comunes fueron cefalea (7%) e hiporexia (6%) leves y transitorios. Conclusiones. Estos resultados preliminares permiten indicar que MPH OROS es una buena alternativa para el manejo de los niños con TDAH y el cambio por MLI en algunos pacientes mostró una mejoría superior sin impacto negativo en sueño y apetito.

Introduction. Objective: to assess the efficacy of controlled release OROS MPH (Concerta®) in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) previously treated with immediate release methylphenidate (MPH IR). Material and methods. Children with ADHD, all subtypes, ages 6 to 12 years, with good response to MPH, were switched from IR MPH to OROS MPH once a day (qd in the morning) at 18 to 54 mg/day in a 1 year follow-up trial.The primary end-points for analysis were the last available patient visit using last observation carried forward.The scales used were CGI,Yale's for tics, somatometry, appetite and sleep evaluation from parents, and adverse events record. Results.We included 97 patients, 26 drop-outs [4 (4%) for treatment failure and 2 (2%) hyporexia and cramps]. Of the 71 patients, 64 (90%) male and 7 (10%) female, mean age 9 + 2 years, initial mean weigth 33.8 + 9.7 kg and final 34.7 + 9.9 kg (normal growth). Children with OROS MPH showed significantly greater reductions in core ADHD symptoms. On the basis of mean teacher and parents Iowa Conners and Peers interactions ratings were a significant improvement (P =0.001, Student t). CGI ratings were improvement as well.The most common adverse events were headache (7%) and hyporexia (6%) mild and transient. Conclusion. For the treatment of core ADHD symptoms, OROS MPH dosed qd were well tolerated and efficacy treatment and there were no negative impact on sleep and appetite.