Effects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on child abuse and neglect.

It is known that children with mental and developmental problems are at risk of abuse and neglect. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most frequent neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to examine whether children diagnosed with ADHD are under more risk in terms of child abuse and neglect compared to controls. In this case-control study, 104 children, who applied to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital between January and June 2015, were diagnosed with ADHD, and had no other psychiatric comorbidity except for disruptive behavior disorders, and 104 healthy children were compared. Abuse Assessment Questionnaire was applied to children after approval of the families was received. It was determined that the children diagnosed with ADHD were exposed to more physical (96.2%) and emotional abuse (87.5%) in a statistically significant way compared to controls (46.2%; 34.6%), they were exposed to physical and emotional neglect (5.8%) at a lower rate compared to healthy children (24.0%), and there was no difference between them and healthy children in terms of witnessing family violence (56.7%; 47.1%) and being exposed to sexual abuse (5.8%; 1.9%). The children diagnosed with ADHD were exposed to physical and emotional abuse at a higher rate; further studies should emphasize the role of parents in this topic and how parental education and treatment programs change the results.

Antiepileptic treatment in a child with Landau Kleffner syndrome: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome is a rare childhood disorder characterized by acquired aphasia and epileptiform EEG abnormalities. Hyperactivity and attention problems are common in LKS, and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) may also coexist. Many different treatments have been used for LKS, with varying rates of success. In particular, the effects of antiepileptic drug treatment on acquisition of language have been inconsistent. To the best of our knowledge the literature does not include any reports on the effect of antiepileptic drug treatment on ASD symptoms in patients with LKS. Herein we report a boy with LKS whose ASD symptoms markedly improved in response to antiepileptic treatment. CASE: A boy aged 3 years 10 months presented to the department of child and adolescent psychiatry due to lack of social interaction, decreased eye contact, stereotypic hand movements, and language regression. The patient was diagnosed as LKS and valproic acid (VAL) treatment was started. The patient was followed-up regularly and after 3 months of treatment with VAL substantial improvement was observed in problematic behaviors, and language and social skills. DISCUSSION: In the presented LKS case rapid improvement in autism symptoms was observed in response to antiepileptic drug treatment. The patient's reacquisition of speech and rapid improvement in social skills with antiepileptic treatment are important findings. It may be possible to effectively treat ASD symptoms in patients with LKS with early diagnosis and appropriate antiepileptic treatment.

A Case of Carbonic Anhydrase Type 2 Deficiency Syndrome with Autistic Disorder.

Carbonic Anhydrase Type II Deficiency Syndrome (CADS) is a disease with an autosomal recessive inheritance that mainly includes characteristics of osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis and cerebral calcification. Pathological fractures, poor vision due to cranial nerve pressure, wide forehead, disproportionate mouth and jaw, physical and mental developmental delay are other features. In this paper, we present the case of a patient who was referred to our department with a diagnosis of CADS and diagnosed with autistic disorder after a psychiatric evaluation. We performed a detailed literature search, however, we did not find any report of co-existence of CADS (osteopetrosis intermediate type) and autistic disorder.