Exploring the Link between ADHD and Obesity: A Focus on Temperament.

Multiple studies support the relationship between ADHD and overweight/obesity in youth. Different mechanisms may be involved, such as temperamental and psychopathological factors. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that specific temperamental and psychopathological dimensions could mediate the relationship between ADHD and obesity.

Parental Stress and Disability in Offspring: A Snapshot during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Parenting a child with a disability, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes, implies a high level of stress. During the COVID-19 outbreak-as a period implying additional challenges-few studies have specifically investigated caregivers' distress among neurodevelopmental disabilities. The objective of the study is to investigate whether during the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of parental stress differs between four disability groups including neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) and genetic syndromes (Rett syndrome (RTT), Sotos syndrome (SS)) in comparison to families with typical development offspring (TD).

Can melatonin prevent or improve metabolic side effects during antipsychotic treatments?

In the last two decades, second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) were more frequently used than typical antipsychotics for treating both psychotic and nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders in both children and adolescents, because of their lower risk of adverse neurological effects, that is, extrapyramidal symptoms. Recent studies have pointed out their effect on weight gain and increased visceral adiposity as they induce metabolic syndrome. Patients receiving SGAs often need to be treated with other substances to counteract metabolic side effects.

Might the temperament be a bias in clinical study on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?: Novelty Seeking dimension as a core feature of ADHD.

Some clinical studies on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been found to overlap those of studies on personality, particularly those on the Novelty Seeking trait (NS) as measured by the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of NS in clinical research on ADHD. We enroled 146 ADHD children (125 boys; mean age=9.

Detection of auto-antibodies to DAT in the serum: interactions with DAT genotype and psycho-stimulant therapy for ADHD.

Unlabelled: Interest is rising for auto-immune contribution in neuro-psychiatry. We evaluated the auto-antibodies against dopamine transporter (DAT aAbs) in 61 children (46 ADHD who met DSM-IV-TR criteria, 15 healthy controls).

Methods: ADHD patients were assigned, according to severity, either to a non-pharmacological therapy (NPT, N=32) or to a pharmacological treatment (PT, N=14) with methylphenidate (MPH).

Role of ADHD symptoms as a contributing factor to obesity in patients with MC4R mutations.

Besides the crucial role of genetic susceptibility in the development of early-onset obesity, it has been shown that feeding behavior could contribute to increased body weight. A significant association between obesity/overweight and ADHD has been reported, suggesting that these two conditions, despite their heterogeneity, might share common molecular pathways. Although the co-occurrence of obesity and ADHD is increasingly supported by empirical evidence, the complex pathogenetic link between these two conditions is still unclear.

Reduction in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in young adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) evaluation as an easy-to-use, reproducible, proxy-measure of brain structural abnormalities. Here, we evaluated RNFL thickness in a group of subjects with high functioning autism (HFA) or with Asperger Syndrome (AS) to its potential as a tool to study autism pathophysiology. All subjects underwent high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography to evaluate RNFL thickness.

Pharmacotherapy of autism spectrum disorders.

Although no pharmacological or behavioral therapy has currently proven effective for treating all core symptoms of autism, many dysfunctional behaviors may be treated pharmacologically. Drug treatments should always be part of a comprehensive management plan that includes behavioral and educational interventions, and should be focused on specific targets. Several classes of psychotropic medications have been used to decrease the wide range of "maladaptive" or "interfering" behaviors and associated medical problems that can interfere with relationships and physical health and hinder the implementation of various non-pharmacological interventions.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and binge eating disorder in a patient with 2q21.1-q22.2 deletion.

We report the case of a young male with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, eating problems and overweight, and mild mental retardation. Karyotype analysis detected an apparently balanced translocation: t(1;2)(p34.1;q21.

Attention and executive functions profile in drug naive ADHD subtypes.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with executive functioning and sustained and divided attention deficits. In order to clarify the questions on neurocognitive impairment in ADHD, we investigated the presence of specific executive functions (EFs) and attention deficit patterns in ADHD clinical subtypes. 50 patients with ADHD and 44 controls were evaluated.

Autism in tuberous sclerosis.

Despite considerable progress in the last few years, the neurobiologic basis of autism in tuberous sclerosis complex is still largely unknown and its clinical management represents a major challenge for child neurologists. Recent evidence suggests that early-onset refractory epilepsy and functional deficits associated with the anatomical lesions in the temporal lobes may be associated with autism. No one factor alone (cognitive impairment, tuber localization, occurrence of infantile spasms, focal EEG abnormalities), can be causally linked with the abnormal behaviour.