The economic burden of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A sibling comparison cost analysis.

AIM: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a lifespan disorder associated with considerable economic cost. While the economic burden of ADHD has been widely estimated, there is considerable variation in reported costs between studies, which typically focus on health outcomes only, lack adequate control and fail to correct for the influence of genetic and shared environmental factors. The aim of this study is to overcome these limitations to reach a fuller understanding of the economic burden of ADHD. METHOD: Using the Danish National Registers 5269 adults with a diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood who had not received a diagnosis in childhood were identified. Excluding cases with missing data, comorbid diagnoses, and cases without a same sex sibling free of any diagnosed psychiatric diagnoses, a final cohort was formed consisting of 460 sibling dyads. Using a cross-sectional method focusing on the year 2010, cost differences between each adult with ADHD and their sibling were calculated from data retrieved from health, education, crime, employment and social care registers. RESULTS: Adults with ADHD had considerably lower disposable income and paid less tax than their siblings. They also received more state benefits, had higher costs for health, social care, and crime than their siblings. The total average costs difference for the year 2010 was 20,134 euros more than their sibling for each adult with ADHD. CONCLUSION: ADHD is associated with considerable costs which are borne by both the individual and the state and underlines the need to consider the wider economic impact of ADHD beyond income and healthcare utilisation costs.

Millimeter wave-induced vibrational modes in DNA as a possible alternative to animal tests to probe for carcinogenic mutations.

Developing methods for alternative testing is increasingly important due to dwindling funding resources and increasing costs associated with animal testing and legislation. We propose to test the feasibility of a new and novel method for detecting DNA mutagenesis using millimeter wave spectroscopy. Although millimeter wave spectroscopy has been known since the 1950s, the cost was prohibitive and studies did not extend to large biological proteins such as DNA. Recent advances have made this technology feasible for developing laboratory and field equipment. We present preliminary findings for lesion-induced vibrational modes in DNA observed from 80 to 1000 gigahertz (GHz). These findings suggest that there are vibrational modes that can be used as identification resonances. These modes are associated with localized defects of the DNA polymers. They are unique for each defect/lesion, and should be easy to detect. We described a field-detecting detector based on the local modes.

Chemical recognition of gases and gas mixtures with terahertz waves.

A time-domain chemical-recognition system for classifying gases and analyzing gas mixtures is presented. We analyze the free induction decay exhibited by gases excited by far-infrared (terahertz) pulses in the time domain, using digital signal-processing techniques. A simple geometric picture is used for the classif ication of the waveforms measured for unknown gas species. We demonstrate how the recognition system can be used to determine the partial pressures of an ammonia-water gas mixture.

Converting Shipley Institute of Living Scale scores to IQ: a comparison of methods.

A sample of 486 male veteran psychiatric patients at a Veterans Administration medical center were used to compare five different methods of estimating IQs from Shipley Scale scores. The methods were: (1) Grayson VA norms; (2) Paulson and Lin Table 5; (3) age-corrected Paulson and Lin Table 4; (4) Zachary et al. continuous age norms; and (5) Tamkin and Jacobsen method applying age-correction to Paulson and Lin's Table 5. An intercorrelation matrix, mean, standard deviation, and range were computed for all five IQ estimates. The same analyses were computed separately by age decade. The results suggest the advisability of using age-corrected norms for estimating IQ from the Shipley Scale. Norms uncorrected for age result in underestimates for older subjects. The Zachary et al. and Tamkin and Jacobsen methods yielded highly similar results.

Age-corrected norms for Shipley Institute of Living Scale scores derived from psychiatric inpatients.

Age has been identified as a particularly powerful factor that affects neuropsychological test scores. The Shipley Institute of Living Scale especially requires age-corrected norms because the Abstraction subtest has been shown to decline with advancing age. This study attempts to improve upon the methodology employed in a previous study by the same authors (Tamkin & Jacobsen, 1986) by correcting only the Abstraction score, increasing the number of subjects to 486, and increasing the number of age groupings to 11. An empirically derived correction for each age group is added to the Abstraction score, and the total Shipley score then is entered in Table 5 of Paulson and Lin (1970) to determine the corresponding WAIS IQ. These norms are ecologically valid for adult, male inpatients with various psychiatric diagnoses, a population for whom the Shipley frequently is used.

Unresolved grief of 25 years duration exacerbated by multiple subsequent losses.

A case report is presented in which there was a pathological grief reaction of 25 years duration that was not identified during many psychiatric hospitalizations. The case illustrates some of the situational and personality factors that can contribute to the failure to resolve grief, theoretically for an indefinite period of time. It also illustrates what a confusing clinical picture can be presented in a pathological grief reaction unless the impact of significant losses has been thoroughly evaluated. Finally, the manner in which this patient attempts to resolve his grief is discussed. Further research is needed to define the manifestations of bereavement as a clinical entity, to identify factors predisposing individuals to a pathological outcome, and to specify the various ways by which people come to accept a loss.

Correlates of depressed mood in normal children.

Two instruments which have been proposed as measures of clinical depression in children and an ad hoc teacher rating were given to a group of 109 normal children. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Peer Nomination Inventory for Depression (PNID), and a teacher rating of depression were given along with the Conners Teacher Rating Scale (TRS), teacher ratings of somatic complaints, peer popularity, and absenteeism, and peer ratings of popularity to examine the behavioral correlates of depressed mood in normal children. While few sex differences were found on mean depression scores, different patterns of correlations were found for the two sexes. For males, there were no significant correlations among the three depression measures, but all three depression measures were correlated with unpopularity and conduct problem ratings on the TRS. For females, the three depression measures were adequately intercorrelated. The teacher rating of depression was correlated with general deviance as measured by the TRS, but the CDI and PNID were correlated with TRS ratings of conduct problems, with peer ratings of unpopularity, and with teacher ratings of somatic complaints. Implications for the issue of the possible existence of a clinical syndrome of depression in children were discussed.