The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnosing and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: New Challenges on Initializing and Optimizing Pharmacological Treatment.

Introduction: COVID-19 has been causing huge disruptions in mental healthcare services worldwide, including those related to ADHD. Some consequences of the pandemic, such as virtual schooling and remote work, as well as increased telemedicine, have posed new challenges for ADHD diagnosis and treatment. In this narrative review, we summarize existing COVID-19 and ADHD literature especially focusing on ADHD diagnostic during the pandemic and treatment adherence.

Disregarding Impairment in ADHD Diagnosis Inflates Its Prevalence.

fifth edition () diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has reemphasized impairment although many studies have demonstrated that such approach may inflate prevalence rates. However, there is no consensus on how impairment should be measured and a myriad of approaches in different studies make comparisons difficult. To investigate whether impairment measured using a previous validate quantitative measure modifies prevalence rates in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents.

Resilience levels among adolescents with ADHD using quantitative measures in a family-design study.

Objectives: To investigate resilience levels in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using quantitative measures when compared to their non-affected siblings and controls. We also aimed to investigate the correlation between resilience and depression, anxiety, intelligence quotient (IQ) and socioeconomic status, which may affect resilience levels and be potential confounders.

Methods: Adolescents (n=45) diagnosed with ADHD referred to an outpatient ADHD clinic, and their siblings without ADHD (n=27), with ages ranging from 12 to 17 years, were interviewed along with their parents using a semi-structured interview (Children's Interview for Psychiatric Syndromes - Parent Version).

Impulsivity as an Endophenotype in ADHD: Negative Findings.

Impulsivity has a strong genetic component and is considered an endophenotype in many psychiatric disorders. Impulsivity in adult ADHD has become a focus of interest more recently because of its suggested prominence in this age. This study aimed to access self-reported impulsivity levels in biological parents of ADHD offspring, according to their status: non-ADHD (controls), remitted, nonremitted.

Pituitary Hyperplasia in a Female Patient with a Severe Childhood Abuse History.

A 24-year-old Caucasian female patient was referred to our endocrinology service to investigate a structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) finding of "pituitary mass". The first two sMRI were identified as pituitary adenoma but the following two examinations suggested the possibility of pituitary hyperplasia (PH). The patient was referred to our service for diagnostic clarification and therapy due to the divergence in sMRI reports and the surgical procedure indicated by the neurosurgical team of the other institution.

Multilevel analysis of ADHD, anxiety and depression symptoms aggregation in families.

A strong genetic role in the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been demonstrated by several studies using different methodologies. Shortcomings of genetic studies often include the lack of golden standard practices for diagnosis for ADHD, the use of categorical instead of a dimensional approach, and the disregard for assortative mating phenomenon in parents. The current study aimed to overcome these shortcomings and analyze data through a novel statistical approach, using multilevel analyses with Bayesian procedures and a specific mathematical model, which takes into account data with an elevated number of zero responses (expected in samples with few or no ADHD symptoms).

Review of literature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with comorbid eating disorders.

Objective: According to studies of prevalence, up to 70% of adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have at least one psychiatric comorbidity, which leads to diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties as well as more severe functional impairment. There is a paucity of data on the comorbidity of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and eating disorders. The objective of this study was to review the literature regarding the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder/eating disorders comorbidity, performing a critical analysis of relevant data.

Lack of executive functions deficits among adult ad hd individuals from a Brazilian clinical sample.

Unlabelled: Executive function deficits have been previously documented in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Objective: The current study aimed to compare measures of executive functions among a clinical sample of adults with ADHD and normal control subjects, matched for age, gender and education.

Methods: Twenty-three self-referred adults diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria, and twenty-five control subjects were assessed using a neuropsychological battery which included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Tower of Hanoi, Digit Span, Trail Making Test (A and B), Stroop Test and Raven's Progressive Matrices.

Agreement rates between parent and self-report on past ADHD symptoms in an adult clinical sample.

Objective: To investigate agreement rates between parent and self-report on childhood symptoms of ADHD.

Method: Sixty-eight self-referred treatment-naïve adults (33 men, 35 women) were interviewed with a modified version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiological Version (K-SADS-E) and asked about past ADHD symptoms, using modified Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition; DSM-IV) criteria (at least six symptoms in either domain for present and past symptoms). Parents were given a questionnaire with DSM-IV symptoms list.

An immunofluorescence test for diagnosis of ophthalmic herpes in a mouse corneal model.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ophthalmic disease is the most common cause of corneal blindness in humans world-wide. Current culture techniques for HSV take several days and commercially available HSV laboratory based diagnostic techniques vary in sensitivity. Our study was conducted to evaluate the use of a quicker and simpler method to herpes ophthalmic diagnosis.

Usefulness of serotoninergic challenge with oral citalopram.

Objective: Challenge tests designed to evaluate serotoninergic pathways have widely used intravenous citalopram. Oral citalopram has also been used, but unsatisfactory results were obtained with a dose of 20 mg. The objective of this study was to determine whether a higher oral dose would reproduce similar to those described for intravenous administration.

Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for recurrent refractory mania.

Background: Although there are some reports on the efficacy of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) in rapid cycling bipolar disorder there is scant data about the use of mECT in the non-rapid cycling form of this condition.

Patient And Methods: We report the case of a 45-year-old man diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder at the age of 32 who had 5 manic episodes in 6 years. These episodes were severe, required hospitalization and had poor response to lithium carbonate, sodium valproate, carbamazepine, haloperidol and chlorpromazine (either alone or in combination).

[Comorbid eating disorders in a Brazilian attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder adult clinical sample].

Unlabelled: Although comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders (ED) is relevant for clinical treatment, it is seldom investigated.

Methods: 86 DSM-IV attention deficity hyperactivity disorder patients out of 107 self-referred adults in a specialized center for attention deficity hyperactivity disorder were interviewed using SCID-R to evaluate the lifetime prevalence of ED and other comorbid conditions.

Results: Nine attention deficity hyperactivity disorder patients had comorbid eating disorders; binge eating disorder (BED) was the most common diagnosis.