Parent rated bedtime resistance and comorbidity may predict levels of attention among Turkish children diagnosed with ADHD in on-line education classes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the attention levels, of Turkish children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in on-line education classes with healthy controls. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional, internet-based, case-control study that recruited 6-18 years old patients diagnosed with ADHD and receving treatment and healthy controls from eight centers. The measurements used in the study were prepared in the google survey and delivered to the participants via Whatsapp application. RESULTS: Within the study period, 510 children with ADHD and 893 controls were enrolled. Parent- rated attention decreased significantly in both groups during on-line education classes due to COVID-19 outbreak (p<0.001; for each). Children and adolescents with ADHD had significantly elevated bedtime resistance, problems in family functioning difficulties than control children according to parental reports (p=0.003; p<0.001; p<0.001, respectively). Furthermore, bedtime resistance and comorbidity significantly predicted attention levels in on-line education. CONCLUSION: Our findings may underline the need to augment student engagement in on-line education both for children without attention problems and those with ADHD. Interventions shown to be effective in the management of sleep difficulties in children as well as parent management interventions should continue during on-line education.

Impaired Affect Perception in Presence of Spared Electrodermal Activity with Affective Stimuli Among Children with Specific Learning Disorder: A Controlled Study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare children with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and matched controls in terms of nonverbal communication skills, understanding of emotions, electrodermal activity (EDA) changes and response latencies measured with affective stimuli. Method: The study was designed as a single-center, cross-sectional, controlled study. KA-SI Empathic Tendency Scale-Child Form, Test of Perception of Affect-Via Nonverbal Cues (TPANC) were used for both groups. The TPANC test was performed in 4 different sessions (for picture, video, audio and textual stimuli), and during each session, the EDA was measured from the non-dominant hand. Stimuli were given at 15 second intervals in the tests and phasic changes within 3-8 seconds after the stimulus was accepted as skin conductance responses related to the stimulus in accordance with the literature. The responses and response latency during the TPANC test were recorded by the clinician. Results: 31 children with SLD and 31 healthy controls were included in the study. The mean ages for SLD and controls were 10 years 6 months and 10 years 1 month; respectively. In the SLD group, the number of correct responses in all subtests of TPANC was statistically significantly lower than controls (p<0.05). When TPANC subtests response latencies were compared, there was a significant increase in the SLD group compared to controls (p<0.05). The groups did not display a significant difference in EDA changes while providing responses in TPANC. Conclusion: Our results contribute to the literature on the affect recognition and its autonomic correlates among children with SLD. However, dependence on a single-modality for autonomic nervous system reactivity and limited sample size may affect our results and further studies with larger samples employing multiple domains of autonomic reactivity may be needed.

Drug holidays may not affect processing speed while they may reduce beneficial effects on resistance to interference among children with treated with methylphenidate: a single-center, prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of drug holidays during summer vacations among children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were treated with methylphenidate in terms of ADHD symptoms and executive functions. METHODS: The study was a prospective cohort study that includes pre-treatment, post-treatment and post-drug holiday evaluations. ADHD symptom severity was evaluated with the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), the Conners' Parental Rating Scale-Short Form (CPRS) and the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale- Short Form (CTRS). The Stroop Color Word Test- TBAG Form (SCWT) was used to evaluate executive functions. Fifty-one patients participated in the study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methylphenidate (MPH) was started at 0.5 mg/kg/day and titrated weekly to a maximum of 1.2 mg/kg/day. During the follow-up period, 22 (43.0%) of the patients stopped treatment. RESULTS: Completion times for all SCWT subtests were significantly reduced after treatment (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001; respectively). Mean number of corrections in SCWT-3 and mean number of errors as well as corrections in SCWT-5 significantly reduced after treatment (p = 0.047, p = 0.005, p = 0.007; respectively). Mean number of corrections in SCWT-3 and mean number of errors in SCWT-5 increased significantly after drug holiday compared to post-treatment (p = 0.032 and p = 0.037; respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that psychomotor speed and resistance to interference improved in children with ADHD receiving methylphenidate treatment. Drug holidays did not affect psychomotor speed while beneficial effects on resistance to interference were reduced with drug holidays.