Exploration of electroencephalogram response to MPH treatment in ADHD patients.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known to be associated with several diagnostic resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) patterns, including the theta/beta ratio, but no objective predictive markers for each medication. In this study, we explored EEG markers with which the therapeutic efficacy of medications could be estimated at the 1st clinical visit. Thirty-two ADHD patients and thirty-one healthy subjects participated in this study.

Decision aid development and its acceptability among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders regarding treatment discontinuation after remission.

Aim: Current clinical guidelines for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) put shared decision making (SDM) at the center of care. However, there remain challenges in SDM in ADHD management, particularly regarding the decision to continue or discontinue medication after ADHD remission in adult patients. We aimed to develop a decision aid (DA) for adult patients with ADHD regarding the continuation or discontinuation of their ongoing ADHD medications after they have attained remission.

Trajectories of Healthcare Utilization Among Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Japan.

Background: Early intervention and prevention of psychiatric comorbidities of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are urgent issues. However, the differences in the diagnoses of ASD and ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities associated with age, long-term healthcare utilization trajectories, and its associated diagnostic features have not been fully elucidated in Japan.

Method: We conducted a retrospective observational study using the medical records.

Efficacy and Safety of Medication for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Common Comorbidities: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Comorbid psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occur frequently, complicate management, and are associated with substantial burden on patients and caregivers. Very few systematic reviews have assessed the efficacy and safety of medications for ADHD in children and adolescents with comorbidities. Of those that were conducted, most focused on a particular comorbidity or medication.

Associations of childhood experiences with event-related potentials in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Childhood maltreatment is defined as experiencing of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect in childhood. Maltreatment in childhood leads to substantial psychosocial problems later in life in the general population. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a higher risk of experiencing stressful and traumatic events, such as maltreatment, during childhood.

Influence of Self-Esteem and Psychiatric Diagnosis on Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with School Refusal Behavior.

Background: School refusal behavior (SRB), which is the refusal to attend or remain in school, has been associated with emotional, psychological, and other behavioral problems, as well as a lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, the effects of self-esteem and a psychiatric diagnosis in students with SRB on HRQOL are not yet known. Understanding these relationships could help to develop more effective therapeutic interventions.

Effect of Continuing and Discontinuing Medications on Quality of Life After Symptomatic Remission in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effect of continuing and discontinuing medications on quality of life of patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched using generic terms for ADHD, discontinuing, continuing, pharmacotherapy, and randomized controlled trials without date or language restrictions.

Study Selection: Of the 3,672 screened studies, 9 met the predefined inclusion criteria on patients with ADHD; 5 of these 9 studies reporting on 1,463 patients (children and adolescents, n = 894; adults, n = 569) measured quality of life and were included in this meta-analysis.

Reduced prefrontal hemodynamic response in pediatric autism spectrum disorder measured with near-infrared spectroscopy.

Background: Functional neuroimaging studies suggest that prefrontal cortex dysfunction is present in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Near-infrared spectroscopy is a noninvasive optical tool for examining oxygenation and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex by measuring changes in oxygenated hemoglobin.

Methods: Twelve drug-naïve male participants, aged 7-15 years and diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-5 criteria, and 12 age- and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched healthy control males participated in the present study after giving informed consent.

Guanfacine monotherapy for ADHD/ASD comorbid with Tourette syndrome: a case report.

Background: Patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience comorbid conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Tourette syndrome (TS). Although pharmacotherapies are effective for treating ADHD, they are likely to elicit a variety of adverse effects. It is, thus, important to select an effective and well-tolerated pharmacotherapeutic treatment for patients with ADHD/ASD comorbid with TS.

Glucose and Prolactin Monitoring in Children and Adolescents Initiating Antipsychotic Therapy.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate glucose and prolactin monitoring in children and adolescents initiating antipsychotic therapy using a nationwide claims database.

Methods: A retrospective 15-month cohort study was conducted using the National Database of Health Insurance Claim Information and Specified Medical Checkups in Japan. Patients aged ≤18 years, who were newly prescribed antipsychotics between April 2014 and March 2015, were followed up for 450 days.

Intra-individual variability across cognitive task in drug-naïve pediatric patients with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Attention deficit is commonly observed in several psychiatric conditions. In particular, patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder exhibit not only attention deficit, but also intra-individual variability in response times (IIV-RT) during the performance of cognitive tasks related to attention span and sustained attention. Although obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is commonly observed across childhood, little is known about abnormalities in IIV-RT during the auditory odd-ball task, and how these changes relate to event-related potentials (ERPs) components.

Distinct patterns of blood oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex in clinical phenotypes of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Background: Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are characterized by different clinical symptoms, and have previously been considered as categorically separate. However, several lines of evidence controversially suggest that these two disorders may run on a continuum. While it is therefore important to evaluate the subtle differences between SZ and BD, few studies have investigated the difference of brain functioning between the two by focusing on the common symptoms of cognitive functioning and impulsivity, rather than positive/negative and mood symptoms.

Reduced prefrontal hemodynamic response in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Aim: Recent developments in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) have enabled non-invasive clarification of brain functions in psychiatric disorders. In pediatric attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reduced prefrontal hemodynamic responses have been observed with NIRS repeatedly. However, there are few studies of adult ADHD by multi-channel NIRS.

Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex atrophy is associated with frontal lobe function in Alzheimer's disease and contributes to caregiver burden.

Objective: Caregivers of patients with dementia experience physical and mental deterioration. We have previously reported a correlation between caregiver burden and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) total scores of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially regarding the dependency factor from the Zarit Burden Interview. The present study aimed to identify an objective biomarker for predicting caregiver burden.

Differential therapeutic effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate in childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Background: The stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) and the nonstimulant atomoxetine (ATX) are the most commonly-prescribed pharmacological treatments for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the drug-specific mechanism of action on brain function in ADHD patients is not well known. This study examined differences in prefrontal hemodynamic activity between MPH and ATX in children with ADHD as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) using the Stroop color-word task.

Pharmacotherapy for the treatment of aggression in pediatric and adolescent patients with autism spectrum disorder comorbid with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A questionnaire survey of 571 psychiatrists.

Aim: Both attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently accompanied by serious aggression that requires psychiatric treatment. However, little is known about the experiences psychiatrists have had using pharmacotherapy to treat aggression in patients who have both ASD and ADHD (ASD/ADHD). The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Japanese child and adolescent psychiatrists in prescribing medication for aggression in patients with ASD/ADHD.

Frontal lobe function in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease and caregiver burden.

Aim: Understanding of the relationship between caregiver burden and the degree of behavioural deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is relatively limited. Therefore, it is worthwhile to examine the correlations between the various relevant factors to improve the efficacy of care for patients with AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the specific contributions of frontal lobe dysfunction in AD patients to caregiver burden, while controlling for other predictor variables.

A longitudinal, event-related potential pilot study of adult obsessive-compulsive disorder with 1-year follow-up.

Aim: Earlier brain imaging research studies have suggested that brain abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) normalize as clinical symptoms improve. However, although many studies have investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) in patients with OCD compared with healthy control subjects, it is currently unknown whether ERP changes reflect pharmacological and psychotherapeutic effects. As such, the current study examined the neurocognitive components of OCD to elucidate the pathophysiological abnormalities involved in the disorder, including the frontal-subcortical circuits.

Distinctive Rorschach profiles of young adults with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: The differential diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ) versus autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be clinically challenging because accumulating evidence suggests both clinical and biological overlaps between them. The aim of this study was to compare Rorschach profiles between young adults with SZ and those with ASD.

Methods: We evaluated quantitative tendencies on the Rorschach test among 20 patients diagnosed with SZ and 20 diagnosed with ASD.

Persistence of impulsivity in pediatric and adolescent patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Aim: Increasing clinical evidence points to impulsivity as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little is known about its persistence over time.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the performance of 12 pediatric patients with OCD on the Stroop color-word task, which assesses impulsivity, and compared this with age- and sex-matched controls.

A longitudinal event-related potential study of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy in treatment-naïve pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder patients.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors, involving specific cognition and/or information processing disorders. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are commonly used as physiological measures of cognitive function. In conscious patients, ERPs are easily and non-invasively measured.

Event-related potentials reflect the efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments in children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Few objective biological measures of pharmacological treatment efficacy exist for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although we have previously demonstrated that event-related potentials (ERPs) reflect the effects of osmotic-release methylphenidate in treatment of naïve pediatric patients with ADHD, whether this is true for the therapeutic effects of atomoxetine (ATX) is unknown. Here, we used the Japanese version of the ADHD rating-scale IV to evaluate 14 patients with ADHD, and compared their ERP data with 14 age- and sex-matched controls.

Event-Related Potentials Correlate with the Severity of Child and Adolescent Patients with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Background: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms can continue through adolescence and adulthood, including difficulty in staying focused, paying attention, and controlling behavior, as well as hyperactivity. While children and adolescents with ADHD have functional impairments at multiple dimensions, there are no objective biological indicators to assess the severity of ADHD. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are widely used as a noninvasive method for evaluating sensory and cognitive processes involved in attention tasks.