Increased risk of ADHD in families with ASD

Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequent comorbid neurodevelopmental conditions and the overlap between both disorders remains to be delineated. A more complete understanding of the shared genetic and environmental factors is needed. Using a family-based method, we evaluated the risk of ADHD in a group of relatives with an ASD proband (ASD−) and a group of relatives with an ASD and ADHD proband (ASD+). We enrolled 1245 individuals in the study: 499 probands, their 746 first-degree relatives and 140 controls. We used a multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) model, in which the dependent variable was the ADHD diagnosis in the relatives and the independent variable the ASD+ or ASD− in probands. We adjusted for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, IQ) and for the nature of the familial relationship with the affected proband (parent or sibling). Among the probands, there were 287 ASD− and 212 ASD+ individuals. ADHD was more frequent in relatives (19%) than in the control group (7%) (p = 0.001). The risk of ADHD was higher in the ASD+ relatives group than in the ASD− relatives group (GEE model OR 1.58 [95% CI 1.04–2.38], p = 0.032). This result was found in parents (OR 1.96 [95% CI  1.14–3.36], but not in siblings (OR 1.28 [95% CI 0.84–1.94], p = 0.434). Our study provides a representative estimate of the family distribution of ADHD in relatives of ASD probands but supports the modest effect of shared genetic and environmental factors between both disorders.

     

Sleep and alertness in children with ADHD

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sleep and alertness and to investigate the presence of possible underlying sleep/wake disorders in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: After 3 nights of adaptation in a room reserved for sleep studies in the department of child psychiatry, children underwent polysomnography (PSG) followed by the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and reaction time tests (RT) during the daytime. Thirty boys diagnosed as having ADHD (DSM-IV), aged between 5 and 10 years, and 22 age- and sex-matched controls participated in the study. All children were medication-free and showed no clinical signs of sleep and alertness problems. RESULTS: No significant differences in sleep variables were found between boys with ADHD and controls. The mean latency period was shorter in children with ADHD. Significant differences were found for MSLT 1, 2 and 3 (p < .05). Mean reaction time was longer in children with ADHD, with significant differences in all tests (p < .05). Number and duration of sleep onsets measured by the MSLT correlated significantly with the hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattentive-passivity indices of the CTRS and CPRS. CONCLUSION: Children with ADHD were more sleepy during the day, as shown by the MSLT, and they had longer reaction times. These differences are not due to alteration in the quality of nocturnal sleep. The number of daytime sleep onsets and the rapidity of sleep-onsets measured as MSLT were found to be pertinent physiological indices to discriminate between ADHD subtypes. These results suggest that children with ADHD have a deficit in alertness. Whether this deficit is primary or not requires further studies.     

Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in childhood and suicidal behaviors in adolescence: the Youth Gazel Cohort

Objective: Although a link has been suggested between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and completed suicide, little is known about the association with suicidal behaviors in community settings. This study addresses the relationship between childhood hyperactivity‐inattention symptoms (HI‐s) and subsequent suicidal behaviors. Method: Nine hundred sixteen subjects aged 7–18 were recruited from the general population and surveyed in 1991 and 1999. Parent and adolescent self‐reports provided psychopathology and suicidal behavior pattern measures. Multivariate modeling was used to evaluate the effects of childhood HI‐s and other risk factors on adolescent suicidal behaviors. Results: In males, HI‐s independently accounted for the risk of lifetime suicide plans/attempts (OR=3.25, P = 0.02) and adolescent 12‐month prevalence rates of suicide plans/attempts (OR=5.46, P = 0.03). In females, HI‐s did not independently heighten the likelihood of suicidal behaviors. Conclusion: This survey suggests a possible specific link between HI‐s and suicide plans/attempts in males.     

5-HT(1A) receptor binding changes in patients with major depressive disorder before and after antidepressant treatment: A pilot [(18)F]MPPF positron emission tomography study

This is the first [(18)F]MPPF PET study in positron emission tomography study in depressed patients, both before and after treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Dynamic changes in [(18)F]MPPF binding potential were observed primarily in the medial orbital regions from baseline to 30days of treatment, suggesting SSRI-mediated serotoninergic adaptative mechanisms.