The Conners 3-short forms: Evaluating the adequacy of brief versions to assess ADHD symptoms and related problems.

The Conners' Rating Scales are widely used to assess attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related difficulties in children and adolescents. A short form of the scales is available, which, along with the several advantages of brief versions, also displays good psychometric properties. Nonetheless, no studies have confirmed them in cultural contexts different from the original one. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Self-Report, Parent, and Teacher Conners 3-Short Forms in terms of reliability and validity in an Italian sample. Analyses were performed on 591 children and adolescents, 631 parents' ratings, and 325 teachers' ratings. To test for discriminative validity, ADHD clinical samples of 55 youth, 63 parents, and 15 teachers were compared to gender- and age-matched groups. Findings confirmed the original multidimensional structures and supported the Conners 3-Short Form scales as reliable and valid tools to assess ADHD and its main comorbid conditions.

An Integrated Model of Executive Functioning is Helpful for Understanding ADHD and Associated Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to test the discriminative capacity of executive function (EF) tasks to better define the cognitive functioning of children with ADHD and comorbidities. METHOD: One hundred four children were presented with a battery of new EF tasks and a rating scale filled out by parents. RESULTS: Preliminary analysis of the neuropsychological tasks revealed the presence of five factors: Speed of Processing, Inhibition, Planning, Execution, and Retrospective Memory. All children with ADHD were impaired in Execution (a measure describing the capacity to achieve a goal). ADHD-only children were specifically impaired in Planning, while ADHD + reading disorder (RD) children were impaired in Speed of Processing and Retrospective Memory. Children with ADHD + oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) did not show impairment in any other EF domains. The five EF processes correlated with the EF Questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The present study describes different cognitive profiles in children with ADHD with or without comorbid disorders using neuropsychological EF measures.

Atomoxetine hydrochloride in the treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder: A placebo-controlled Italian study.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of atomoxetine in improving ADHD and ODD symptoms in paediatric patients with ADHD and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), non-responders to previous psychological intervention with parent support. METHODS: This was a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial conducted in patients aged 6-15 years, with ADHD and ODD diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria by a structured clinical interview (K-SADS-PL). Only subjects who are non-responders to a 6-week standardized parent training were randomised to atomoxetine (up to 1.2 mg/kg/day) or placebo (in a 3:1 ratio) for the following 8-week double blind phase. RESULTS: Only 2 of the 156 patients enrolled for the parent support phase (92.9% of males; mean age: 9.9 years), improved after the parent training program; 139 patients were randomised for entering in the study and 137 were eligible for efficacy analysis. At the end of the randomised double blind phase, the mean changes in the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Rating Scale-Revised (SNAP-IV) ADHD subscale were -8.1+/-9.2 and -2.0+/-4.7, respectively in the atomoxetine and in the placebo group (p<0.001 between groups); changes in the ODD subscale were -2.7+/-4.1 and -0.3+/-2.6, respectively in the two groups (p=0.001 between groups). The CGI-ADHD-S score decreased in the atomoxetine group (median change at endpoint: -1.0) compared to no changes in the placebo group (p<0.001 between groups). Statistically significant differences between groups, in favour of atomoxetine, were found in the CHIP-CE scores for risk avoidance domain, emotional comfort and individual risk avoidance subdomains. An improvement in all the subscales of Conners Parents (CPRS-R:S) and Teacher (CTRS-R:S) subscales was observed with atomoxetine, except in the cognitive problems subscale in the CTRS-R:S. Only 3 patients treated with atomoxetine discontinued the study due to adverse events. No clinically significant changes of body weight, height and vital signs were observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with atomoxetine of children and adolescents with ADHD and ODD, who did not initially respond to parental support, was associated with improvements in symptoms of ADHD and ODD, and general health status. Atomoxetine was well tolerated.