Publications by authors named "Miquel Casas"

Objectives: The present study performed a systematic review of the scientific literature that deals with the academic performance of university students with ADHD, collecting the research conducted between 2018 and 2024. Likewise, we aimed to know the factors that influence on academic performance and evaluate the tools used in the collection of ADHD symptoms and educational data.

Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus were used to search studies using PRISMA guidelines.

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are strongly associated with educational attainment (EA), but little is known about their genetic relationship with school performance and whether these links are explained, in part, by the genetic liability of EA. Here, we aim to dissect the polygenic contribution of ADHD and ASD to school performance, early manifestation of psychopathology and other psychiatric disorders and related traits by their relationship with EA. To do so, we tested the association of polygenic scores for EA, ADHD and ASD with school performance, assessed whether the contribution of the genetic liability of ADHD and ASD to school performance is influenced by the genetic liability of EA, and evaluated the role of EA in the genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD with early manifestation of psychopathology and other psychiatric disorders and related traits in a sample of 4,278 school-age children.

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Objectives: To describe the daily Physical Activity (PA) patterns of adolescents with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to analyze the differences in terms of PA patterns between adolescents with ADHD and those without ADHD, and to study the factors associated with achieving the daily PA recommendations.

Methods: The sample was composed of 778 adolescents who provided complete information on their PA patterns through the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). Of these, 97 had ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria.

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Bipolar disorder (BD) is a heritable mental illness with complex etiology. While the largest published genome-wide association study identified 64 BD risk loci, the causal SNPs and genes within these loci remain unknown. We applied a suite of statistical and functional fine-mapping methods to these loci, and prioritized 17 likely causal SNPs for BD.

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Introduction: Past research has demonstrated that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders (SLD), and socioeconomic status (SES) affect a host of educational outcomes. However, there are no studies examining whether SES moderates the association between these neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) and the academic achievement of children and adolescents. The present investigation examined the impact of ADHD and SLD on academic performance in 1,287 Spanish students aged 5-17 from a low-middle (LM)- and a high-income population, when adjusted for comorbidity and demographic factors that may influence educational functioning.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study assessed the validity and reliability of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) in 2733 Spanish children aged 6 to 16, finding good reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.
  • The researchers identified a prevalence of sleep disorders in about 4.24% of participants, with excessive somnolence, sleep-wake transition disorders, and issues with initiating and maintaining sleep being the most common.
  • Factors like being in secondary education and belonging to lower socioeconomic backgrounds were linked to a higher risk of sleep problems, highlighting the need for effective assessment tools like the SDSC to address these issues.
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Introduction: This study examined, for the first time, the prevalence of mental disorders and comorbidities among inmates who were about to be released, and their association with criminal history.

Methods: A Spanish sample of 140 prisoners at the end of their sentence was recruited from an occupational program. Psychiatric disorders were determined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria.

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This study investigated the psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among youth by analyzing their emotional/behavioral problems before and during the long-lasting lockdown in Spain. For that purpose, 699 parents with children aged 6-17 and 552 adolescents aged 12-17, who completed the parent and adolescent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at the beginning of 2019, responded to a survey from 26 May to 15 June 2020 that assessed psychological well-being and life conditions during quarantine (i.e.

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Psychiatric symptoms have consistently been associated with negative educational outcomes. However, possible confounding variables, such as comorbid mental and environmental conditions, have not been well addressed. This study examined whether mental health problems were significantly linked to academic performance in a Spanish school-based sample, after adjustment for co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and multiple contextual factors.

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Article Synopsis
  • Childhood aggressive behavior (AGG) is significantly heritable, with around 50% of its variation attributed to genetics, as shown in a study analyzing data from over 87,000 children aged 1.5 to 18 years; however, no genome-wide significant SNPs were identified.* -
  • Three significant genes (ST3GAL3, PCDH7, and IPO13) linked to educational traits were found, and genetic analysis revealed moderate to strong correlations between AGG and various psychiatric traits, with notable weak correlations concerning teacher assessments.* -
  • The research also showed negative genetic correlations of aggression with cognitive abilities and age at first birth, alongside strong correlations with smoking behaviors, highlighting complex genetic interactions within childhood aggression.*
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Article Synopsis
  • Bipolar disorder has a genetic basis and complex causes; a large study compared nearly 42,000 bipolar patients with over 371,000 healthy controls, revealing 64 genomic regions linked to the disorder.
  • The findings showed that risk-related genes are heavily associated with brain functions, particularly in areas like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and they include targets for various medications.
  • The research also distinguished between bipolar disorder types I and II, revealing a close genetic relationship and highlighting 15 specific genes that could lead to new treatment options and further investigations.
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Previous studies have shown that the gene encoding the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3; formerly latrophilin 3, LPHN3) is associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Conversely, no studies have investigated the anatomical or functional brain substrates of ADGRL3 risk variants. We examined here whether individuals with different ADGRL3 haplotypes, including both patients with ADHD and healthy controls, showed differences in brain anatomy and function.

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Background: Prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) are essential for treatment planning. However, epidemiological research has yielded highly variable rates across countries, including Spain. This study examined the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of ND in a school sample of Spanish children and adolescents.

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Article Synopsis
  • - ADHD is found in nearly 25% of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD), leading to more severe cases and increased risk for other mental health issues.
  • - This study investigates the genetic links between ADHD and five SUD-related traits using data from both a sample of 989 individuals and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
  • - Results show a shared genetic background between ADHD and SUD, implying that ADHD may increase the risk of developing SUD, and suggest the importance of screening for ADHD in SUD patients for better treatment outcomes.
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Introduction: Healthcare professionals (HPs) have been confronted by unprecedented traumatic experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in countries that had not experienced similar epidemic outbreaks in recent years.

Aim: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of HPs.

Method: We comprehensively reviewed the studies published in MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science and Google Scholar between December 2019 and May 2020.

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. There is growing evidence that epigenetic dysregulation participates in ADHD. Given that only a limited number of epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) of ADHD have been conducted so far and they have mainly focused on pediatric and population-based samples, we performed an EWAS in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD.

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The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been extensively used to measure common forms of psychopathology among children and adolescents. However, its psychometric properties vary across countries and several controversial issues warrant further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate whether the Spanish version of the SDQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing emotional and behavioral problems in a sample of 6,775 students aged 5 to 17 years, as rated by parents, teachers, and youth.

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Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by age-inappropriate symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that persist into adulthood in the majority of the diagnosed children. Despite several risk factors during childhood predicting the persistence of ADHD symptoms into adulthood, the genetic architecture underlying the trajectory of ADHD over time is still unclear. We set out to study the contribution of common genetic variants to the risk for ADHD across the lifespan by conducting meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies on persistent ADHD in adults and ADHD in childhood separately and jointly, and by comparing the genetic background between them in a total sample of 17,149 cases and 32,411 controls.

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The post-graduate period as a resident doctor (MIR, in Spanish) is usually associated with high emotional distress due to new professional demands and to other psychosocial factors. The objective of this study is to determine the characteristics of dual diagnosis among MIRs. A systematic review was carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, selecting articles published in English and Spanish between 1984 and 2017.

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Introduction: Addictions among physicians are a matter of public health interest because of their negative impact on the physician's well-being and the potential risk of malpractice. Physicians' Health Programmes (PHP) have been developed in several countries to address this issue. Although they share some similarities, they differ in organisational and clinical aspects.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The analysis discovered 30 significant genetic loci linked to bipolar disorder, including 20 that hadn't been previously identified, which involve genes related to ion channels and neurotransmitter systems.
  • * The study also showed that Bipolar I disorder has a genetic connection to schizophrenia, particularly linked to psychosis, while Bipolar II disorder is more closely related to major depressive disorder, shedding light on potential biological mechanisms and clinical implications.
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