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People with attentional problems are at increased risk of eating disorders. This paper aimed to systematically review and synthesize the existing evidence on stimulant medication in the management of patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) or anorexia nervosa (AN) with or without comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A protocol for the review was registered with Open Science Framework (OSF) Registry and critical appraisal of the literature was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. Thirteen articles met inclusion criteria including two quasi-experimental studies, one randomized controlled trial, four case series, and six case reports. 26 cases were included from studies and 32 from case series/reports. Only two cases from a single case report had a diagnosis of AN, while the remainder had BN. Stimulants included methylamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine sulphate and mixed amphetamine salt. In nearly all cases of BN there were reported reductions in eating disorder symptoms. The rates of adverse effects were high and included weight loss, decreased appetite, tachycardia, dry mouth, fatigue, insomnia, restlessness, nausea, bruxism, headache, palpitations, blood pressure changes, irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, and diaphoresis. There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of stimulant medications to treat symptoms of BN or AN. The authors recommend considering screening patients with BN for ADHD. • A potential role for stimulants in treating bulima nervosa and anorexia nervosa. • The first systematic review on stimulant use in treating symptoms of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. • Currently there is limited evidence to support this practice. • Rates of adverse effects may be high and include weight loss, decreased appetite and tachycardia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, but adult-ADHD is still an under-diagnosed and untreated condition. Treating adult-ADHD is complex and requires effective strategies for ADHD symptoms and comorbidities. Because of its high comorbidity rate with mood disorders and the growing interest in symptoms of emotional dysregulation in these patients, our aim was to collect studies that investigated temperament correlates in adult people with ADHD, to better understand the association between them and the eventual role of temperament as a prognostic-therapeutic marker.Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature. We included only studies that measured temperament traits in ADHD adults using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Paris and San Diego-Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) or the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI).Results: We retrieved 15 papers that used the TCI and 6 papers that used the TEMPS-A. In the TCI studies, ADHD was associated with high scores on Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance and low scores on Persistence. For the TEMPS-A studies, ADHD and Bipolar Disorders share some similarities in temperament scores, except for the hyperthymic temperament score.Limitations: A comparison between the TCI and TEMPS-A results was not possible. The number of papers included was small. Among them, the type of sample, the number of recruited subjects and the ADHD assessment were very different.Conclusions: The majority of ADHD individuals share temperament traits such as lability, irritability and excessiveness of emotional responses. Further research is needed to better understand whether temperament influences the pharmacological response of ADHD patients and whether temperament scores affect the long-term therapeutic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with a broad range of deficits in cognitive functions which has significant implications for quality of life. Psychostimulants are demonstrated to improve symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, however, their impact on cognition remains incompletely characterized. Herein, the aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the extant literature reporting on the effects of psychostimulants on cognitive function in individuals with ADHD. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to July 2021 was conducted. Additional studies were identified through Google Scholar and a manual search of the reference lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria were original studies that evaluated the cognitive function of individuals with ADHD taking psychostimulants drugs. We assessed the quality of the included papers using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale (NOS). A total of 10 studies involving 753 subjects with ADHD and 194 healthy controls were identified and eligible for inclusion. Nine studies evaluated the impact of methylphenidate on cognitive function and one study investigated the use of lisdexamfetamine. Results indicated that attentional deficits such as memory, vigilance, divided attention, phasic and tonic alertness, and focused attention were improved in ADHD patients treated with psychostimulants. The efficacy of psychostimulants in improving other domains of cognition remains inconclusive due to conflicting evidence or insignificant findings (ie. academic performance and executive function). Overall, results indicate that psychostimulants may improve only select domains of cognition (ie. memory and attention). Psychostimulants are reported to improve several disparate aspects of cognition among individuals with ADHD. Further research is needed to better understand the complex relationships between cognition and behavior in ADHD, as well as the impact of medication on these distinct aspects of functioning. Further research is also needed to determine whether the pro-cognitive effect of stimulants would be transferable to other mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • ADHD affects approximately 6% of individuals. • Most theories of it have weak empirical support. • A new theory of ADHD predicates an insufficiency of the major food of neurons, lactate, as its cause. • A drift-decision model of neural processing connects the theory to data, predicting slowed neural processing. • Results of tests support this model. Abstract One of the most notable aspects of the behavior of individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is increased variability in many aspects of their behavior, including response times and attentional focus. Among the many theories of ADHD is one that identifies its material cause as phasic malnutrition of the neurons required to maintain constancy of performance. Of the diverse predictions issuing from this theory, one concerns ubiquitous data: response times and their variance in decision tasks. This paper reviews that behavioral neuroenergetics theory and model, shows how they predict representative data, and suggests their relevance to researchers studying animal models of ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the connection between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) has been recognized for several decades, little research has examined the relationship between these two disorders. This paper draws attention to the contribution the cognitive-energetic model (CEM) can make in determining the specific nature of these two disorders. An information processing approach such as the CEM is a useful model to identify specific and overlapping mechanisms that are disrupted in these two disorders. This paper describes the CEM and reviews the research so-far in relation to the model. The CEM has several advantages over other models: First, it predicts which task variables will be independent or may interact, thus enabling the investigator to determine the success/failure of the task manipulation(s) and identify spurious findings. Second, the CEM links energetic factors to task variables and predicts both additive and interactive effects. Third, the CEM enables executive processes such as selective attention, working memory and inhibition to be related to both energetic and lower level processes. Fourth, by employing the CEM in clinical research, taxonomy of deficits can be derived enabling further insight into the nature of the disorders and their specific neuropsychological dysfunction. Suggestions are made for future research into the neuropsychological deficits associated with ADHD and DCD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This systematic review aims to assess the association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Databases were searched for original articles that reported prevalence data on ADHD and RLS until January 24th, 2023. Two independent reviewers evaluated the quality of the articles using the National Institutes of Health assessment tool. Among the 208 articles identified between 1996 and 2022, 29 were included. In large general population studies, 2.6–15.3% of participants met the RLS criteria, of which 3.2–17.4% presented with ADHD. In the ADHD group, RLS symptoms ranged from 11 to 42.9% in children and 20–33.0% in adults. This suggests a strong co-occurrence between RLS and ADHD. A common characteristic of these conditions is sleep fragmentation, as discussed in the reviewed papers. Although large-scale studies with comparable diagnostic criteria across the lifespan are required, our findings may advocate a possible common physiological pathway, including sleep fragmentation and dopaminergic system impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Causal perturbations provide the strongest tests of the relationships between brain mechanism and brain function. In cognitive neuroscience, persuasive causal perturbations are difficult to achieve. In a recent paper, Ni et al. cleverly use the neuropsychiatric drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) to causally test the brain mechanisms that support goal-directed attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-based interventions provide an attractive option for improving service provision for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), for example, widening access to interventions, objective assessment, and monitoring; however, it is unclear whether there is sufficient evidence to support their use in clinical settings. This review provides an evidence map describing how technology is implemented in the assessment/diagnosis and monitoring/ treatment of NDD (Prospero CRD42018091156). Using predefined search terms in six databases, 7982 articles were identified, 808 full-texts were screened, resulting in 47 included papers. These studies were appraised and synthesised according to the following outcomes of interest: effectiveness (clinical effectiveness/ service delivery efficiencies), economic impact, and user impact (acceptability/ feasibility). The findings describe how technology is currently being utilised clinically, highlights gaps in knowledge, and discusses future research needs. Technology has been used to facilitate assessment and treatment across multiple NDD, especially Autism Spectrum (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders. Technologies include mobile apps/tablets, robots, gaming, computerised tests, videos, and virtual reality. The outcomes presented largely focus on the clinical effectiveness of the technology, with approximately half the papers demonstrating some degree of effectiveness, however, the methodological quality of many studies is limited. Further research should focus on randomised controlled trial designs with longer follow-up periods, incorporating an economic evaluation, as well as qualitative studies including process evaluations and user impact. • Technology has been used clinically across multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. • Many studies show clinical effectiveness, but some have poor quality ratings. • Both healthcare and service users hold largely positive views about technology. • More research on service delivery efficiencies and cost-savings is required. • More collaboration between clinicians, academics, patients and industry is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Socio-behavioral disorders(SBD), a subtype of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) characterized by social and behavioral abnormalities, is a significant mental health concern requiring immediate attention. Phenotypic knowledge, biological understanding and the tools developed are all from western countries. Numerous researches have been conducted that have scrutinized the performance accuracy of traditional-based SBD tools developed in western culture. However, very little information is available for low or middle-income countries. In middle-income countries like India, there is a shortage of resources, trained professionals and a lack of knowledge regarding which tools are effective for a particular target group owing to which most of the cases go undetected and undiagnosed until adolescence. Motivated by the earlier discussion, this study's objective is to consider all the pathways from traditional to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools developed for diagnosing SBD in the Indian population. This research work expounds on the systematic study and analysis of various conventional and fuzzy-based expert systems introduced between 1925–2021. PRISMA guidelines were used to select the articles published on the web of science, SCOPUS, and EMBASE to identify relevant Indian studies. A total of 148 papers are considered impactful for SBD prediction using traditional or fuzzy-based techniques. This survey deliberated the work done by the different researchers, highlighting the limitations in the existing literature and the performance comparison of tools based on various parameters such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, target audience, along with their pros and cons. Some investigations have been designed, and the solutions to those were explored. : Results of this study indicated that most validated SBD tools present many barriers to use in the Indian population. Thus, to overcome these implications, an Artificial Intelligence(AI) framework, MRI M M TL, based on MRI multimodality transfer learning techniques(TL), is proposed to be implemented for the early detection of SBD subjects. • SBD diagnosis concerning Indian Perspective. • Covering all the pathways from traditional to Artificial Intelligence based SBD Diagnosis in India. • Study and analysis of all the traditional (SBD screening and diagnostic procedures) introduced between 1925 and 2022 used in Indian population. • Analysis of existing fuzzy tools covering a time frame of 2010–2022 to complement the traditional clinical practices and their existing implications to deploy in natural clinical settings. • An intelligent multimodal framework MRI M M TL using MRI & transfer learning techniques is suggested for early & effective SBD diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: About 18% of college students have disabilities. Social capital, resources we can tap from relationships, may be particularly valuable for students with disabilities. Yet, disabilities often limit the individual's ability to develop or use social capital. We studied how college students with developmental disabilities understand, develop, and use social capital.Methods and Procedures: We conducted in-depth semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 women with developmental disabilities enrolled at a public university in the southeastern United States early in 2021. We examined the qualitative data with thematic analysis.Outcomes and Results: Participants averaged age 20; 70% reported attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; 90% reported multiple diagnoses. Most participants described COVID-19 pandemic-related isolation and stress, which magnified both the need for relationships and awareness of that need, prompting participants to become proactive in forming and maintaining relationships despite anxiety about them. Themes were: foundational relationships, reciprocity, expanding horizons, a need for new relationships, focus on the future and relationship barriers.Conclusions and Implications: Results highlight the importance of social relationships and the resources they provide to students with disabilities, particularly in stressful times. Colleges can help students by connecting them with others and providing strategies for building and maintaining social capital.What This Paper Adds: College students with developmental disabilities often face challenges developing and maintaining social capital, resources derived from relationships with other people. These resources are key to success in school and after graduation, as students continue into adulthood. We studied how students with developmental disabilities build social capital. The students described their relationships with others and the types of support they contributed to and received from those relationships. We also extended previous research by examining pandemic-related effects, interviewing participants nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide recommendations for further research and ways colleges and universities can encourage social capital development among all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has often been conceptualized as arising executive dysfunctions (e.g., inattention, defective inhibition). However, recent studies suggested that cognitive inefficiency may underlie many ADHD symptoms, according to reaction time and processing speed abnormalities. This study explored whether a non-timed measure of cognitive inefficiency would also be abnormal. A sample of 23 ADHD subjects was compared to 23 controls on a test that included both egocentric and allocentric visual memory subtests. A factor analysis was used to determine which cognitive variables contributed to allocentric visual memory. The ADHD sample performed significantly lower on the allocentric but not egocentric conditions. Allocentric visual memory was not associated with timed, working memory, visual perception, or mental rotation variables. This paper concluded by discussing how these results supported a cognitive inefficiency explanation for some ADHD symptoms, and discussed future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There is growing interest in the long-term mental health sequelae of extremely preterm birth. In this paper we review literature relating to mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Studies conducted in the preschool years, school age and adolescence, and adulthood show continuity in outcomes and point to an increased risk for inattention, socio-communicative problems and emotional difficulties in individuals born extremely preterm. Both behavioural and neuroimaging studies also provide evidence of a neurodevelopmental origin for mental health disorders in this population. Here we summarise contemporary evidence and highlight key methodological considerations for carrying out and interpreting studies in this field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Preliminary evidence suggests that handwriting difficulties are common to children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, the nature of the task-specific impairments is needed to be clarified. The aim of this study was to describe handwriting capacity in ADHD children without DCD and identify underlying factors of performance by use of outcome-oriented assessments and a digitizing tablet. Twenty-one children with ADHD (8.59±1.25 years) and 21 match controls (8.5±1.08 years) were recruited. Children with ADHD scored lower than controls on Tseng Handwriting Problem Checklist and writing composite of Basic Reading and Writing Test, indicating the ADHD group wrote less legibly. The ADHD group spent more on-paper time to copy 50 Chinese characters and exhibited more writing time during the writing process. The ADHD group scored significantly lower on tasks demanding upper limb and eye–hand coordination and visual-motor integration compared with controls. Furthermore, motor skill and visual-motor integration were positively correlated with the legibility. Motor skill was negatively correlated with writing time, in-air time, and in-air trajectory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Overview: Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs) are frequently given to children and adolescents for reputed benefits in the treatment of hyperkinetic and concentration disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In such vulnerable populations high quality evidence is required to support such claims. Aims: The aim of the paper is to assess the current evidence of herbal and nutritional interventions for ADHD using a systematic search of clinical trials meeting an acceptable standard of evidence. Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and CINAHL were searched up to May 26th, 2011 for randomised, controlled clinical trials using CAM products as interventions to treat ADHD. A quality analysis using a purpose-designed scale, and an estimation of effect sizes (Cohen''s d) where data were available, were also calculated. Results: The review revealed that 16 studies met inclusion criteria, with predominant evidentiary support found for zinc, iron, Pinus marinus (French maritime pine bark), and a Chinese herbal formula (Ningdong); and mixed (mainly inconclusive) evidence for omega-3, and l-acetyl carnitine. Current data suggest that Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo), and Hypercium perforatum (St. John''s wort) are ineffective in treating ADHD. Conclusion: The research suggests only some CAMs may be beneficial in ADHD, thus clinicians need to be aware of the current evidence. Promising candidates for future research include Bacopa monniera (brahmi) and Piper methysticum (kava), providing potential efficacy in improving attentional and hyperkinetic disorders via a combination of cognitive enhancing and sedative effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Methylphenidate (MPH, Ritalin®), has been prescribed to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since its approval by the FDA over 50 years ago. Diagnoses of pediatric patients with ADHD and the administration of MPH to treat the symptoms have increased in prevalence in recent years. A 2005 study by El-Zein et al. reported statistically significant increases in cytogenetic anomalies including chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured from pediatric patients treated for 3 months with MPH. These findings led to wide-spread concern regarding the potential for genotoxic risks associated with prolonged administration of MPH. The study described in the present paper was designed to repeat the El-Zein effort with a much larger sample size. The subjects (N =109) were randomized into two groups: one treated with MPH as well as behavior therapy, the other was a control group that received behavior therapy only. We evaluated CAs, MN, and SCEs in peripheral blood lymphocytes in samples obtained prior to therapy and after 3 months of treatment with MPH. The data were analyzed using a Poisson regression model with a generalized estimating equation method adjusted for several covariates including time, treatment-by-time interaction, sex, and age group. The loge rate ratios of the MPH plus behavior therapy and behavior therapy groups were compared. The frequencies of CAs, MN, and SCEs were not increased in the MPH plus behavior therapy group when compared to the behavior therapy group only (p =0.53, 0.28, 0.81, respectively). These results provide evidence in a large cohort that MPH does not induce cytogenetic anomalies in children, in contrast to the findings of the El-Zein study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The currently dominant neuro-cognitive model of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) presents the condition as executive dysfunction (EDF) underpinned by disturbances in the fronto-dorsal striatal circuit and associated dopaminergic branches (e.g. meso-cortical). In contrast, motivationally-based accounts focus on altered reward processes and implicate fronto-ventral striatal reward circuits and those meso-limbic branches that terminate in the ventral striatum especially the nucleus accumbens. One such account, delay aversion (DEL), presents AD/HD as a motivational style—characterised by attempts to escape or avoid delay—arising from fundamental disturbances in these reward centres. While traditionally regarded as competing, EDF and DEL models have recently been presented as complimentary accounts of two psycho-patho-physiological subtypes of AD/HD with different developmental pathways, underpinned by different cortico-striatal circuits and modulated by different branches of the dopamine system. In the current paper we describe the development of this model in more detail. We elaborate on the neuro-circuitry possibly underpinning these two pathways and explore their developmental significance within a neuro-ecological framework. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is evidence that abnormalities within the dopamine system in the brain play a major role in the pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For instance, dopaminergic psychostimulants, the drugs of first choice in ADHD, interact directly with the dopamine transporter (DAT). Molecular genetic studies suggest involvement of a polymorphism of the DAT gene in ADHD. More recent imaging studies show abnormalities in various brain structures, but particularly in striatal regions. In the current paper we review recent studies in this area. First in vivo measurements of DAT with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in ADHD patients revealed an elevation of striatal DAT density. No differences in DAT density between the left and right side and between putamen and caudate nucleus have been found in [99mTc]TRODAT-1 SPECT of ADHD patients. Patients with ADHD and with a history of nicotine abuse both displayed lower values of DAT density in [99mTc]TRODAT-1 SPECT than non-smokers with ADHD. DAT seem to be elevated in non-smoking ADHD patients suffering from the purely inattentive subtype of ADHD as well as in those with the combined or purely hyperactive/impulsive subtype. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper discusses the application of fMRI in combination with neuropsychology to neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders, exemplified on the case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in comparison with schizophrenia. The view is presented that ADHD, rather than being a compound of unrelated co-existing deficits, is a pervasive disorder of impulsiveness, which manifests at the motor, emotional, social and cognitive domain. Neuropsychology needs to refine the psychological measurements of these impulsivity symptoms and, in combination with fMRI, provide new insights into the interrelationship between brain and dysfunction and its bi-directional causalities. The suitability of the dynamic technique of functional MRI to assess the dynamic nature of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders is discussed. Brain activation can inform about strategy and compensatory mechanisms at a neuroanatomical level, which are not observable at a psychological level, providing insight into the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. Data are presented and discussed on opposing neurocognitive activation patterns for patients with ADHD and those with schizophrenia while performing a stop task. Comparisons between patient groups will be essential to address the specificity of neurocognitive mechanisms corresponding to specific neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reviews and discusses research on arithmetical strengths and weaknesses in children with specific developmental cognitive disabilities. It focusses on children with dyslexia, developmental language disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. In general, studies show that arithmetical weaknesses are commoner in children with any of these disorders than in controls. Autism is sometimes associated with specific strengths in arithmetic; but even in autism, it is commoner for arithmetic to be a relative weakness than a relative strength. There may be some genetic reasons why there is an overlap between mathematical difficulties and other developmental learning difficulties; but much of the reason seems to be that specific aspects of arithmetic are often influenced by other factors, including language comprehension, phonological awareness, verbal and spatial working memory and long-term memory, and executive functions. The findings discussed here will be discussed in relation to Pennington's (2006) Multiple Deficit Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]