Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurobehavioral disorder in childhood. The major components of this disorder are developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, which result in functional impairment in 1 or more areas of academic, social, and emotional function. In addition to the propensity for children to have some compromise of academic and emotional function, children with ADHD also have a higher frequency of co-occurring learning, cognitive, language, motor, and mental health disorders. Similarly, children with developmental disorders have a higher risk of co-occurring ADHD. The diagnosis of ADHD can be ascertained by a review of the risks for the condition, consideration of masquerading conditions, a careful history and physical examination, and the recognition of co-occurring disorders. The signs and symptoms of co-occurring disorders and the management of ADHD differ across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Management is largely limited to behavioral and pharmacologic interventions, and it favors behavioral strategies in early childhood, pharmacologic and behavioral strategies in middle childhood, and pharmacologic interventions in adolescence. This article offers an approach to the evaluation, presentation, and management of ADHD with a focus on guiding primary care pediatricians.

Abdominal Tuberculosis in an Infant Presenting With a Small Bowel Obstruction.

ABSTRACT: Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is rare in children and usually spread in the peritoneum or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms tend to be vague and nonspecific, with no extra-abdominal involvement, presenting a challenge for clinicians and delayed diagnosis. Postnatally acquired abdominal TB is most commonly transmitted through inhalation or ingestion of respiratory droplets with Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the mother.Abdominal TB in infants is rare. We present a case of a 2-month-old infant presenting with an acute bowel obstruction secondary to abdominal TB acquired through contact with maternal TB mastitis. This unique case emphasizes the importance of considering abdominal TB in the differential for at-risk infants presenting with small bowel obstruction.

DNA methylation signatures as biomarkers of socioeconomic position.

This review article provides a framework for the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation (DNAm) biomarkers to study the biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) and summarizes the latest developments in the area. It presents the emerging literature showing associations between individual- and neighborhood-level SEP exposures and DNAm across the life course. In contrast to questionnaire-based methods of assessing SEP, we suggest that DNAm biomarkers may offer an accessible metric to study questions about SEP and health outcomes, acting as a personal dosimeter of exposure. However, further work remains in standardizing SEP measures across studies and evaluating consistency across domains, tissue types, and time periods. Meta-analyses of epigenetic associations with SEP are offered as one approach to confirm the replication of DNAm loci across studies. The development of DNAm biomarkers of SEP would provide a method for examining its impact on health outcomes in a more robust way, increasing the rigor of epidemiological studies.

Pandemic intake questionnaire to improve quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of outpatient neurologic and developmental care at the Kennedy Krieger institute during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic uniquely affects patients with neurologic and developmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. These patients are at increased risk of co-morbidities, increasing their risk of contracting COVID-19. Disruptions in their home and school routines, and restrictions accessing crucial healthcare services has had a significant impact. Methods: A Pandemic Intake questionnaire regarding COVID-19 related medical concerns of guardians of patients was distributed using Qualtrics. Data from May-December 2020 were merged with demographic information of patients from 10 clinics (Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Neurology, Epigenetics, Neurogenetics, Center for Development and Learning (CDL) Sickle Cell, Spinal Cord, Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), Tourette's, and Metabolism). A provider feedback survey was distributed to program directors to assess the effectiveness of this intervention. Results: Analysis included responses from 1643 guardians of pediatric patients (mean age 9.5 years, range 0-21.6 years). Guardians of patients in more medically complicated clinics reported perceived increased risk of COVID-19 (p < 0.001) and inability to obtain therapies (p < 0.001) and surgeries (p < 0.001). Guardian responses from CARD had increased reports of worsening behavior (p = 0.01). Providers increased availability of in-person and virtual therapies and visits and made referrals for additional care to address this. In a survey of medical providers, five out of six program directors who received the responses to this survey found this questionnaire helpful in caring for their patients. Conclusion: This quality improvement project successfully implemented a pre-visit questionnaire to quickly assess areas of impact of COVID-19 on patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. During the pandemic, results identified several major areas of impact, including patient populations at increased risk for behavioral changes, sleep and/or disruptions of medical care. Most program directors reported improved patient care as a result.

Valproic acid as a monotherapy in drug-resistant methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) duplication-related epilepsy.

Duplication of the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) is a rare condition that results in epilepsy in half of the cases. Although this condition has been well characterized in the literature, there is a lack of research on MECP2 duplication-related epilepsy and its management. We present the case of an eleven-year old male with MECP2 duplication and epilepsy, who was resistant to polytherapy. The patient responded well to valproic acid (VPA) initially and upon re-challenge. This case report provides evidence for the use of VPA as an initial monotherapy for treatment of drug-resistant MECP2 duplication-related epilepsy.

Sleep Disorders in a Sample of Adopted Children: A Pilot Study.

Sleep disorders occur in up to 25% of children and are more prevalent in children who have attention problems and attachment issues. Research shows that foster children display sleep problems, but limited knowledge exists on sleep problems in adopted children. This pilot study aimed to identify the types of sleep disorders in adopted children and associated psychosocial factors. Parents of adopted children in Ontario, Canada, ages 2-10 years were asked to complete questionnaires evaluating demographic measures, sleep history, and the presence of behavioral problems. Insomnias and parasomnias were reported in adopted children and were associated with attention problems. This pilot study emphasizes the need for further research on the underlying factors governing the relationship between poor sleep and behavioral problems in adopted children.

Cortical morphology in children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder.

INTRODUCTION: It is well established that individuals exposed to alcohol in utero have reduced cortical grey matter volumes. However, the candidate determinants of these reductions, cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA), have not been investigated exclusively in alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), the most prevalent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder subgroup that lacks the characteristic facial dysmorphology. METHODS: T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from 88 participants (8-16 years), 36 diagnosed with ARND and 52 typically developing controls. Scans were submitted to the CIVET pipeline (version 1.1.10). Deformable models were used to construct the inner white matter surfaces and pial surfaces from which CT and SA measures were derived. Group differences in cortical volume, CT, and SA were computed using a general linear model covaried for age, sex, and handedness. RESULTS: Global cortical volume reductions in ARND did not reflect CT, which did not differ between groups. Instead, volume decreases were consistent with global SA reductions in bilateral frontal and temporal as well as right occipital regions. Local reductions in SA were observed in the right superior temporal gyrus and the right occipital-temporal region. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that in ARND, prenatal alcohol exposure perturbs global SA to a greater degree than CT, particularly in the right temporal lobe.