Evaluation of p300 and spectral resolution in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disorder.

This study aims to examine auditory processing, P300 values and functional impairment levels among children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), ADHD+SLD and healthy controls. Children with ADHD (n = 17), SLD (n = 15), ADHD+SLD (n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 15) between the ages of 7-12 were evaluated with K-SADS, Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale, Turgay DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale, The Mathematics, Reading, Writing Assessment Scale and Children's Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS). Auditory P300 event-related potentials and Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT) were applied. Three patient groups were found to be riskier than healthy controls according to the CHAPS. There was no significant difference between the groups in the SMRT. In post-hoc analyses of P300 parietal amplitudes, ADHD, SLD, and ADHD+SLD were found to be significantly lower than the control group. The amplitudes of the ADHD+SLD were by far the lowest. It has been shown that auditory performance skills and p300 amplitudes are lower in children diagnosed with only ADHD or SLD compared to the control group, with the lowest values observed in ADHD+SLD. This study suggests that the difficulties with attention and cognitive functions in the ADHD+SLD are more severe than ADHD and/or SLD without comorbidity.

Investigation of the forkhead box protein P2 gene by the next-generation sequence analysis method in children diagnosed with specific learning disorder.

OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to investigate the role of the forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2) gene in the cause of specific learning disorder (SLD) with the next-generation sequencing method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 52 children diagnosed with SLD and 46 children as control between the ages of 6-12 years. Interview Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifelong Version in Turkish, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)-Based Screening and Evaluation Scale for Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Specific Learning Disability Test Battery were applied to all participants. The FOXP2 gene was screened by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method in all participants. RESULTS: A total of 17 variations were detected in the FOXP2 gene in participants. The number and diversity of variations were higher in the patient group. In the patient group, c.1914 + 8A>T heterozygous variation and three different types of heterozygous variation (13insT, 13delT and 4dup) in the c.1770 region were detected. It was found that the detected variations showed significant relationships with the reading phenotypes determined by the test battery. CONCLUSION: It was found that FOXP2 variations were seen more frequently in the patient group. Some of the detected variations might be related to the clinical phenotype of SLD and variations found in previous studies from different countries were not seen in Turkish population. Our study is the first to evaluate the role of FOXP2 gene variations in children with SLD in Turkish population, and novel variations in the related gene were detected.

SIRT1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels in children with specific learning disorder.

BACKGROUND: Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a common developmental and neurobiological disorder of childhood characterized by impairment of functionality in one or more areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, listening, speaking, and reasoning. The etiology of SLD is still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate children with SLD to investigate the potential role of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and SIRT-1, which have important roles in synaptic plasticity, cognitive functions, learning and memory, and are known to be associated with various psychiatric disorders. METHODS: The study was conducted with 44 outpatients aged 8-14 years who were diagnosed with SLD according to DSM-5 in the outpatient clinic and a control group of 44 age, gender and education level-matched healthy children. The groups were compared in respect of serum levels of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and SIRT-1, evaluated using the ELISA method. RESULTS: Serum MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in children in the SLD group than in the control group, while TIMP-1 was higher. No difference was determined between the groups in respect of the SIRT1 levels. SLD severity was negatively correlated with MMP-9 levels and positively correlated with TIMP-1 levels. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 appear to contribute to hippocampal-dependent memory and learning by modulating long-term synaptic plasticity. The findings of this study also reinforce the idea that deregulation of the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio may impact learning and play a role in SLD. These findings will help to elucidate the etiology of SLD. Furthermore, understanding molecular pathways can contribute to the discovery of certain biomarkers in SLD pathogenesis and the development of new treatment possibilities.

The structure, profile, and diagnostic significance of intelligence in children with ADHD are impressively similar to those of children with a specific learning disorder.

This study examines the structure, profile, and diagnostic significance of intelligence in a group of 948 children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessed with the WISC-IV and compared with children with specific learning disorders (SLDs) and with typically developing children. Based on four indexes, the WISC-IV configuration found in TD resulted applicable to ADHD, but with generally lower loadings on g. The Perceptual Reasoning and Verbal Comprehension indexes not only had higher loadings compared to the other two indexes but also represented the relative strengths of children with ADHD, as previously observed for children with SLD. In fact, the WISC pattern could be successfully used for discriminating between ADHD and TD, but not between ADHD and SLD. The latter result was not due to a co-occurrence of a learning disorder because the presence or absence of an associated diagnosis of SLD negligibly affected the pattern observed in ADHD. We concluded that the characteristics of intelligence in children with ADHD can be relevant for assessing this disorder, and that ADHD and SLDs share largely similar underlying cognitive features.

Specific Learning Disorders and Eating Disorders: an Italian retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although Anorexia Nervosa (AN) patients show dysfunctional behaviour in information processing, visual and verbal memory performance, and different cognitive fields, regardless of their BMI, the literature on the correlations between Eating Disorders (ED) and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) does not provide conclusive data. Rather than a consequence of the mental disorder, cognitive dysfunctions may be a risk factor for AN. METHODS: Our retrospective study investigates the prevalence of Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) among patients with ED. We considered 262 patients being treated at the Emilia Romagna Feeding and Eating Disorders Outpatient Service in Bologna, Italy. We compared the results with the Italian reference values, according to the most recent data provided by the Italian Ministry of Education. RESULTS: We found that 25 patients out of 262 (9.54%) presented a comorbid diagnosis of SLD. This SLD prevalence is higher than the Italian reference values (4.9% in the school year 2018/19, p < 0.001). Comorbidity with SLD was significantly more frequent in males. A diagnosis of SLD was not associated with a higher frequency of any specific ED diagnosis or with psychiatric comorbidity in general. Positive family history for SLD was not significantly associated with either a positive family history for ED or a diagnosis of SLD. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first Italian study to investigate the prevalence of SLD in ED patients during childhood and adolescence. Our data support previous research documenting that neuropsychological deficit could lead to the development of ED.

An examination of the relationships between specific learning disabilities identification and growth rate, achievement, cognitive ability, and student demographics.

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) represent a large proportion of those receiving special education services in U.S. schools, but the relationship between student-level variables and SLD identification is still not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which data collected as part of a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation were associated with SLD identification status. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine how response to intervention (RtI) slope (i.e., growth rate), academic achievement, global cognitive ability, and demographic variables (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, and free/reduced-price lunch [FRL] status) were related to SLD identification. Academic achievement (B = -0.13, OR = 0.88), race/ethnicity (B = -1.35, OR = 0.26; 0 = white student, 1 = student of color), and FRL (B = 0.94, OR = 2.57) were related to SLD status, but global cognitive ability and RtI slope were not, even though the RtI method was reported to be used during the special education decision-making process. Implications for practice, particularly related to the use of RtI, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The prevalence and comorbidity rates of specific learning disorder among primary school children in Turkey.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of specific learning disorder (SLD), comorbid disorders, and risk factors in primary school children for the first time in two-stage design in Turkey.Materials and methods: Participants were 1041 pupils in 28 primary schools and aged from 7 to 11. The Mathematics, Reading, Writing Assessment Scale (MOYA) teacher and parent forms were used in the screening stage and parents and teachers of each child completed MOYA. Ninety-five children were screen positive and eighty-three of these children participated in the interview. SLD diagnoses were based on DSM V criteria. Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) was used for the comorbid psychiatric disorders.Results and conclusions: The prevalence rate of the SLD was 6.6%, impairment in reading was 4%, in mathematics was 3.6%, and in written expression was 1.8%. About 62.75% of children with SLD had one or more comorbid diagnoses. ADHD was the most common comorbid mental disorder in SLD (54.9%). SLD prevalence was higher among males. The prevalence of SLD in primary school children in Turkey is consistent with previous studies.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Developmental Dyslexia and Specific Learning Disabilities: Primum Non Nocere.

Specific learning disabilities (SLDs) are increasingly being addressed by researchers, schools, and institutions, as shown by the increasing number of publications, guidelines, and incidence statistics. Although SLDs are becoming a major topic in education with the final goal of inclusive schools, consistent drawbacks may emerge, resulting in disadvantages instead of benefits for some children. Overdiagnosis and unnecessary interventions may harm children's neurodevelopment and families' quality of life more than previously thought. In this commentary, we discuss recent understandings, their practical and educational applications, and some considerations of the effects of these choices on children.

Agreement between telehealth and face-to-face assessment of intellectual ability in children with specific learning disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Access to cognitive assessments for children living remotely is limited. Telehealth represents a potential cost- and time-effective solution. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of telehealth to assess cognitive function in children with learning difficulties. METHODS: Thirty-three children (median age = 9 years 11 months), recruited from the New South Wales (NSW) Centre for Effective Reading, underwent assessment of intellectual ability. Comparisons were made between the intellectual ability index scores obtained by a psychologist sitting face-to-face with the children and another psychologist via telehealth using a web-based platform, Coviu. RESULTS: The telehealth administration method yielded comparable results to the face-to-face method. Correlation analyses showed high associations between the testing methodologies on the intellectual ability indices (correlation coefficient range = 0.981-0.997). DISCUSSION: Findings indicate that telehealth may be an alternative to face-to-face cognitive assessment. Future work in a broader range of cognitive tests and wider range of clinical populations is warranted.

Vineland-II adaptive behavior profile of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or specific learning disorders.

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of adaptive behavior is informative in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or specific learning disorders (SLD). However, the few investigations available have focused only on the gross level of domains of adaptive behavior. AIMS: To investigate which item subsets of the Vineland-II can discriminate children with ADHD or SLD from peers with typical development. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Student's t-tests, ROC analysis, logistic regression, and linear discriminant function analysis were used to compare 24 children with ADHD, 61 elementary students with SLD, and controls matched on age, sex, school level attended, and both parents' education level. RESULTS: Several item subsets that address not only ADHD core symptoms, but also understanding in social context and development of interpersonal relationships, allowed discrimination of children with ADHD from controls. The combination of four item subsets (Listening and attending, Expressing complex ideas, Social communication, and Following instructions) classified children with ADHD with both sensitivity and specificity of 87.5%. Only Reading skills, Writing skills, and Time and dates discriminated children with SLD from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of Vineland-II scores at the level of item content categories is a useful procedure for an efficient clinical description.

Subtipos neuropsicológicos en dos grupos de niños mexicanos: con trastorno específico del aprendizaje o con buen desempeño académico / Neuropsychological subtypes in two groups of mexican children: with specific learning disability or good academic performance

En el presente trabajo se compararon dos grupos de niños mexicanos en edades comprendidas entre los 8 a 10 años, el primer grupo con trastorno específico en el aprendizaje (TEA), tanto en la precisión de la lectura como en el cálculo, y el otro con buen desempeño académico (BDA), por medio de Escala Wechsler de Inteligencia para Niños, en su cuarta versión (WISC-IV) y la batería de Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (ENI), (subpruebas de Habilidades Académicas, Memoria, Atención y Habilidades Metalingüísticas), ambos instrumentos normados en población mexicana. Se encontraron diferencias significativas (p≤ 0.05) entre los niños BDA y TEA, mediante la U de Mann Whitney, en todas las subpruebas evaluadas a excepción del Índice Velocidad de Procesamiento (WISC), Conteo, Codificación/Evocación y Atención Auditiva, además de Atención visual (ENI). Mediante el Análisis de Componentes Principales se identificaron 5 subgrupos: 2 en los niños con BDA y 3 en los TEA. Las diferencias significativas (p≤ 0.05)entre las variables cognitivas y académicas fueron determinadas mediante la prueba de Kruskal-Wallis. Fue posible observar que los subgrupos TEA obtuvieron puntajes más bajos que los subgrupos BDA tanto en habilidades académicas como en otras variables cognitivas,siendo el Índice de Memoria de Trabajo en la escala Wechsler y las Habilidades Metalingüísticas de la ENI las que mejor diferenciaron a los subgrupos TEA de los BDA.Conclusión: La aplicación de instrumentos normados en la población bajo estudio resulta de gran utilidad para identificar subtipos neuropsicológicos tantoen niños con BDA como con TEA.

In this work two groups of Mexican children aged between 8 to 10 years old were compared, the first group with specific learningdisorder (SLD),in both reading accuracy as in the calculation, and the other compared to good performance academic (GPA) by Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, in its fourth version (WISC-IV) and battery Child Neuropsychological Assessment (ENI), (subtests Academic Skills, Memory, Attention and Metalinguistic Skills), both instruments normed in Mexican population. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found among SLD and GPA children, by Mann Whitney U Test, they were found in all subtests evaluated except Processing Speed Rate (WISC), Counting, Coding / Evocation and Auditory Attention, also Visual Attention (ENI). By the Principal Component Analysis were identified five subgroups: 2 children with GPA and 3 in the SLD. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between cognitive and academic variables were determined by the Kruskal-Wallis Test. It was possible to observe that the TEA subgroups scored lower than the BDA subgroups in academic abilities as well as in other cognitive variables, with the Working Memory Index on the Wechsler scale as the subtests that evaluate the ENI Metalinguistic Skills the variables that give the best discrimination between the TEA and the BDA subgroups.Conclusion: The application of normed instruments in the population under study is useful to identify neuropsychological subtypes in children with GPA as SLD.

Knowledge and Attitudes About Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorder in an Urban Indian Population.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders (SLDs) are an important cause of scholastic backwardness among children and often go unrecognized. Few studies have examined knowledge and attitudes toward ADHD and SLD among school-aged children. To address this deficit, 120 school-aged children, attending a child guidance clinic in Mumbai, were interviewed using a questionnaire that examined children's knowledge and attitudes about ADHD and SLD. The results were compared both qualitatively and quantitatively with a frequently occurring medical illness, common cold. Approximately 80% to 100% of children were aware of their illness; however, a large variation was noted in the proportion of children (15%-80%) who could describe their symptoms, provide accurate attributions for their illness, and identify treatment modalities. Children with ADHD reported greater control over their illness. The study identified a significant lack of knowledge about ADHD and SLD among school-aged children in India and discusses implications of this finding.

Forward and backward digit span difficulties in children with specific learning disorder.

This study examined performance in the forward and backward digit span task of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) in a large group of children with specific learning disorder (SLD) as compared with a group of typically developing children matched for age and sex. Our results further support the hypothesis that the intellectual difficulties of children with SLD involve working memory in the forward digit span task to a greater extent than in the backward digit span task. The correlation of the two spans with a General Ability Index (GAI) was similar in SLD, and smaller in magnitude than in typically developing children. Despite a GAI within normal range, children with SLD had difficulty with both digit span tasks, but more so for forward span. This pattern was similar for different SLD profiles with clinical diagnoses of dyslexia and mixed disorder, but the impairments were more severe in the latter. Age differences were also investigated, demonstrating larger span impairment in older children with SLD than in younger.

A cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of DSM-5 specific learning disorders in representative school samples from the second to sixth grade in Brazil.

Little is known about specific learning disorder (SLD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and even less from representative school samples in small size cities outside huge urban centers. Few studies addressed the new DSM-5 criteria for SLDs. We investigated the prevalence of DSM-5 SLDs, their comorbidities and correlates in school samples of students from the second to sixth grades living in median cities from four different geographic regions in Brazil. A national test for academic performance covering reading, writing and mathematical abilities was applied. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed by the K-SADS-PL applied to the primary caregiver. A total of 1618 children and adolescents were included in the study. The following prevalence rates of SLDs were found: 7.6% for global impairment, 5.4% for writing, 6.0% for arithmetic, and 7.5% for reading impairment. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was the only comorbidity significantly associated with SLD with global impairment (p = 0.031). Anxiety disorders and ADHD were associated with SLD with arithmetic impairment. Significant differences were detected in prevalence rates among cities, and several socio-demographic correlates (age, gender, IQ, and socioeconomic status) were significantly associated with SLD with global impairment in our sample. Careful validation and normatization of instruments to assess academic performance is a major problem in LMICs. As expected, we found a significant heterogeneity in prevalence rates of SLD according to geographic regions considering that Brazil is a country with a robust diversity. SLD with global and arithmetic impairment was significantly associated with psychiatric comorbidities.

Academic Attainment in Students with Dyslexia in Distance Education.

This investigation studied attainment in students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties who were taking modules by distance learning with the Open University in 2012. Students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties who had no additional disabilities were just as likely as nondisabled students to complete their modules, but they were less likely to pass the modules that they had completed and less likely to obtain good grades on the modules that they had passed. Students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties who had additional disabilities were less likely to complete their modules, less likely to pass the modules that they had completed and less likely to obtain good grades on the modules that they had passed than were nondisabled students. Nevertheless, around 40% of students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties obtained good grades (i.e. those that would lead to a bachelor's degree with first-class or upper second-class honours).

Specific Learning Disorders and ADHD: Current Issues in Diagnosis Across Clinical and Educational Settings.

With the recent changes in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), this article provides a comprehensive review of two high-incidence disorders most commonly seen in childhood and adolescence: specific learning disorder (SLD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Updates regarding comorbidity, shared neuropsychological factors, and reasons for the changes in diagnostic criteria are addressed. Although the revisions in the DSM-5 may allow for better diagnostic sensitivity based on the symptomology, specifiers, and the clinical features outlined, there continues to be challenges in operationalizing SLD and implementing consistent assessment practices among mental health professionals particularly when considering the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides guidelines in the evaluation of SLD in school settings. Clinical and educational assessment implications are discussed with special attention to develop a collaborative approach between psychiatrists, psychologists, and educators when providing service delivery for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities.