Lack of functional brain connectivity was associated with poor inhibition in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using near-infrared spectroscopy.

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of functional brain connectivity in the resting state in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to assess the association between the connectivity and inhibition function using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Methods: In total, 34 children aged 6-13 diagnosed with ADHD were recruited from Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital. In comparison, 37 healthy children were recruited from a local primary school as controls matched by age and sex. We used NIRS to collect information on brain images. The Stroop test assessed inhibition function. We compared the differences in functional brain connectivity in two groups by analyzing the resting-state brain network. Pearson partial correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the correlation between functional brain connectivity and inhibition in all the children. Results: Compared with the control group, results of NIRS images analysis showed that children with ADHD had significantly low functional brain connectivity in regions of the orbitofrontal cortex, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex, inferior prefrontal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus (p = 0.006). Inhibition function of children with ADHD was negatively correlated with functional brain connectivity (p = 0.009), while such correlation was not found in the control group. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that children with ADHD had relatively low connectivity in several brain regions measured at the resting state. Our results supported the evidence that lack of functional brain connectivity was associated with impaired inhibition function in children with ADHD.

Determinants of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level of adolescents in China: Findings from a national, population-based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: We aimed to assess the associated factors for adolescent depression, problem behavior and cognitive level in China. Methods: A total of 2,584 adolescents aged from 10 to 15 years old in 2018 were included for analyses. Information on a comprehensive set of potential determinants was collected by the questionnaire, including demographic, health-, school- and family-related factors. Differences in average scores of depression, problem behavior, and cognitive level across subgroups were assessed by two independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The clinical relevance among subgroups was assessed by the effect size. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify the statistically significant determinants. Results: School-related factors and parental depressive status were strongly associated with depression. Low maternal education, poor/bad health of adolescents, high academic pressure, and parental depression were significantly associated with behavior problems. The socioeconomic factors, poor academic performance and father's depression were significantly associated with adolescent cognitive level. Discussion: Multiple associated factors were identified for depression, problem behavior, and cognition of Chinese adolescents, which will provide insights into developing more targeted public health policies and interventions to improve their mental health.

Health-related quality of life of children with Williams syndrome and caregivers in China.

Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that impacts multiple systems and may cause developmental delays. These medical and developmental issues impose a heavy burden on affected children and their families. However, there was no study on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with WS and only two studies about family quality of life globally. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the HRQoL of children with WS and their caregivers in China, and the secondary purpose was to identify the potential determinants of children's and caregivers' HRQoL. Methods: In total, 101 children and caregivers were included. We applied the proxy-reported PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Module (PedsQL GCM) and PedsQL 3.0 Family Impact Module (FIM) to measure the HRQoL of children and caregivers. Additionally, we collected information on a comprehensive set of social demographic and clinical characteristics. Differences in HRQoL scores across subgroups were assessed by two-independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc tests. We also calculated effect sizes to indicate clinical relevance. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to assess the potential determinants of HRQoL. Results: We found that the HRQoL of children with WS and their caregivers was dramatically worse than the norm average scores of the healthy controls of children published in previous studies. Paternal educational level, household income, and the perceived financial burden significantly influenced the HRQoL of both children and families (p-values < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the perceived financial burden was independently associated with family quality of life (p-values < 0.05)., and the presence of sleeping problem was independently associated with children's HRQoL (p-value = 0.01). Conclusion: We call for attention from policymakers and other stakeholders on the health status and well-being of children with WS and their families. Supports are needed to relieve psychosocial distress and financial burden.